


Little Games

by ScalePhoenix14825



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha!Laura, Blind Character, F/M, No Hale Fire, Overprotective Father, Vampire/Human OC, Vampire/Werewolf rivalries, Vampires, alpha!Derek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-04
Updated: 2014-11-10
Packaged: 2018-02-19 21:33:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 32,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2403656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScalePhoenix14825/pseuds/ScalePhoenix14825
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'd been home schooled since the 3rd grade, after my mom died. My dad was afraid to let me out of his sight because of what I was. This year, however, I've decided I want to go to high school for real and meet other teenagers. What I found was a little more than what I bargained for however.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, quick and simple, Derek's family is still alive, however, they're still butting heads with the Argents because they're, well, hunters. Peter is still going to be the Alpha, but things are going to happen that's going to change that. Also, Talia isn't an Alpha anymore. After Derek's dad died, she gave up being an Alpha and it transfered to Laura.

**Chapter One**

**First Person POV**

"Autumn, are you sure you don't just want to finish the last three years at home? It's not like it'd be that big of a deal. I'd actually feel better if you stayed home." my dad said and I rolled my eyes, he was practically begging me to be home schooled till graduation.

"Sorry, dad, but was talked about this. I need to be around people my own age!" I laughed and he made a noise that sounded somewhere between a groan and a sigh. "I promise to call if anything goes wrong. Even if I change my mind halfway through the day and want to come home." I reasoned, hoping he let it drop.

"Well, I'm gonna hold you to that promise." he said and I heard his door open. Moments later, my door opened and I reached for the hand that was waiting for me. Grabbing my bag in the other hand, I pulled myself out of the car.

"Are you absolutely sure?" my dad asked again and I couldn't hold in the groan that rippled through my entire body.

"Dad! I'll be fine! I need to do this!" I told him as we walked to the office of the school.

"Alright, fine! I'm just...worried." he said lowly, his hand tightening around mine.

"Me too." I whispered back, squeezing back.

We made the rest of the way to the office in comfortable silence. I only stopped when my dad stopped, realizing we'd made it to our destination.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"I need Autumn Summers schedule." my dad said and there was a moment of silence and a shuffle of papers until she found what she was looking for.

"Here you are. Your homeroom teacher is Mr. Harris. You'll go to homeroom for this first week. After that, you'll just go to your first period. I hope you enjoy it here at Beacon Hills, Ms. Summers." she said pleasantly and I smiled in return, taking the paper that was handed to me.

"Okay," my dad began as we exited the office. "Mr. Harris' room is 304. Right this way."

Dad knocked on the door of Mr. Harris' room and the door opened a moment later.

"Ah, you must be Autumn. Mrs. Talmin just paged and said you were on your way." who I presumed was Mr. Harris said. "Come on in." he added and the both of us went through the door and into the classroom. "And you must be Carson."

"Adrian, if I remember correctly. We had English together freshman year." my dad laughed and shook the other's hand.

"Well, Carson, I can assure you Autumn will do just fine. From what I've seen from her record, she's a bright young woman and I think she'll do just fine here at Beacon Hills." Mr. Harris said and it was the second time I'd heard that today.

"I hope so." dad said, a smile in his voice and he squeezed my shoulder affectionately. "Well, I'll get out of here. Don't forget your promise." he added and squeezed my shoulder once more before leaving.

"Well, I'll assign you your seat, but then I need to run some things up to the counseling office." Mr. Harris told me and I nodded. He walked away from me then and over to his desk. "Okay, I have you sitting next to...Scott McCall. Right here." he said, walking over and tapping one of the desks.

I walked over and sat in the seat, dropping my bag onto the ground next to me. "Alright, I'll be back in about ten minutes." he added and then he was gone.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and calmed myself. I was beyond nervous. Deciding I needed something to take my mind off of my nerves, I reached down and rummaged through my bag to find my book. Pulling it out, I placed it on the table and began to read, not realizing how fast time began to fly by when I wasn't paying attention.

It wasn't until someone sat down next to me that I realized there was an abundance of chatter around me.

"You must be the new girl, Autumn." the kid who sat down next to me said and then started to stammer his next sentence. "I-I mean, I remember you from third grade, but that was...ten years ago." he rushed out and I chuckled.

"Sorry, but I don't really remember anyone from back then." I apologized and he laughed.

"Well then, Scott McCall." he said and extended his hand.

"Autumn Summers." I answered and took his hand, shaking it. Scott laughed and let go of my hand.

"So, what're you reading?" he asked, reaching over and picking up my book. "Uh, the pages are, uh, blank." he said, sounding baffled.

"It's braille." I said, taking the book back from him and marking my place before setting it back down on the desk. "I'm blind."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Autumn's POV**

"I'm not completely blind. Just legally." I told Scott as he escorted me to lunch. "I can see shapes, but I can't always tell what they are. My doctor's aren't really sure what it is, but they're working on it with me. It's easier during the day because of the sunlight, but at night, it's like I'm almost completely blind."

"That sounds tough." Scott said as he held the door to the cafeteria open for me.

"I've gotten used to it." I reassured him and he chuckled.

"SCOTT!" someone yelled from behind us and said teen turned around as someone ran up to the us. "I've been looking for you for, like, ten minutes now!" they said, slightly out of breath from running.

"What is it?" the taller teen asked, sounding concerned, but annoyed at the same time.

"Allison's been looking for you since second period. She said something about needing to reschedule for tonight." the other said and then he became agitated. "You know, I'm getting real tired of being your guys' middle man."

Scott groaned and turned back to me. "I need to go sort this out. Sorry. But, Stiles will help you until I get back!" he said and turned to the shorter teen again. "Right, Stiles?"

"Uhh...sure! I'm Stiles and you are?" the shorter teen asked, holding his hand out.

"Autumn. Autumn Summers. I went to school with you guys in third grade." I said, taking his hand and shaking it.

"You did? I don't remember you." Stiles said and both Scott and I chuckled before Scott jogged out of the cafeteria. "Then again, I didn't remember we had summer reading, so don't feel too bad." he added and started towards one of the tables. It wasn't too hard to follow him, the cafeteria had plenty of windows so I could somewhat 'see' where I was going. As long as the blob to her right, which she assumed was a group of people, stayed where they were until I could safely get to where I needed to go.

"So, where have you been for the past ten years?" Stiles asked, pulling what looked to be a bottle out of his bag.

I was silent for a moment. I really didn't like where this conversation was heading. "Well, my dad was homeschooling me. This year, I decided I wanted to meet some people my own age instead of spending all day with my old man." I explained, being vague, but telling him enough to answer his question.

"So, how're you enjoying everything so far?" he asked, leaning back in his seat and relaxing.

"It's a little more difficult than I'd imagined, but I think it'll take some time for my teachers to get used to having a blind student."

Stiles ended up spewing water everywhere and quickly apologized. "You're blind!"

"Not completely, but yeah." I said, holding back a laugh.

"Sorry, it's just that normally blind people have a seeing-eye-dog or a walking stick. You seem to be doing fine on your own though."

"Well, I've had Scott's help most of the day, but I'm supposed to be getting a seeing-eye-dog in a few days. He's still being trained, but it should be easier for me then."

"So, what's your next class? I'd be glad to walk you there." the enthusiastic teen offered and I smiled.

"Thanks. That would be extremely helpful. I have English with Mrs. Beckerson."

"That's perfect! That's where I'm headed! I think Scott has the same period as us."

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The rest of lunch went fairly quickly, but it was exactly the reason I wanted to go to a regular school. I actually got to interact with someone my own age. It wasn't until Scott came back that I finally got to feel what it was like to have real friends.

"So, what do for fun? Like, me and Scott play lacrosse after school. I'd say you should come to one of our games, but I feel it would be kinda like an insult." Stiles asked and I laughed.

"I play the piano. It helps me relax after a particularly stressful day. And I definitely wouldn't take that as an insult. I would love to go to one of your games. Just don't expect me to know what's going on." I said and there was a pause.

"Well, I mean, I don't actually play. I usually sit out, so I could explain what's going on." Stiles said and Scott and I laughed.

"When's your first game? I'll clear my schedule and make sure I'm there." I asked.

"Thursday night. 6 o'clock I think." Scott answered and I nodded.

"I'll definitely be there."

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The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. I got to meet Allison and Lydia, which was nice getting to know some girls along with the two guys.

"I think Allison really liked you. It's a bit hard to tell with Lydia though." Scott said as the last bell of the day rang.

"I'm glad. I'm really just happy I'm able to make some friends. I've been cooped up in that house for so long now, I'd almost forgoten how to interact with people." I laughed and Scott joined in.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed your first day. And, as a token of our new found friendship, I'll be your seeing-eye-dog until you officially get yours." the taller teen offered and I smiled.

"That would help immensely." I said and took the arm Scott offered.

"Uh," Scott paused as soon as we left the building. "this is gonna sound like a really stupid question, but do you have any idea what kind of car your dad drives."

"I'm told it's a black Kia Sport. He told me in case I got lost or something."

"I think I see it." he said and led me down the steps and across the parking lot. He stopped abruptly a few feet away from where my dad had said he'd park at the end of the day and he became tense all of a sudden.

"Thanks for helping me today, Scott." I said, giving his arm a thankful squeeze before walking over to the shape of my dad's car. "You're not so bad for a werewolf." I added, waving at him before getting into the car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Third Person POV**

"What the hell were you thinking, Autumn!" my dad yelled and, judging by how the floor of the car vibrated, we were speeding home at an alarming speed.

"Dad-" I started, but was cut off. I wasn't too surprised. When he got into rants like this, it was impossible to get a word in edge wise.

"Do you have any idea what could've happened to you!"

"But-"

"You could've been killed! If he'd found out what I am-what you are, he would've been running to his pack! There's no way I'd be able to protect you from them!" he went on and I kept silent, waiting for him to finish. There was a long pause and I thought he might be finished, but I was completely wrong. "No more school for you-"

"What? But dad!" I couldn't believe it. "He didn't even suspect anything until you were around!"

"I don't care, Autumn. My ultimate concern is your safety. And if that means taking you out of public school again, home schooling you for the next three years, and you not talking to me for a month, then so be it." he said in a tone that said there was no room for arguing.

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**Third Person POV**

Derek could sense the tension a mile away. Rolling his eyes, he pushed off the porch of the house when he realized Peter wasn't going to do anything about it. Walking over to the newest member of their pack, he grabbed the young teen by the back of his t-shirt and pulled him into the woods, far enough away so that they'd have at least a little bit of privacy.

"What the hell's wrong with you? You've been unfocused since you got here and Peter's hellbent on getting you ready for the full moon!" the brunette practically growled at the other.

"I'm sorry! It's just...something happened at school today and I'm not sure how to handle it." Scott said, rubbing his neck where his shirt had dug in slightly.

The was a long pause before Derek rolled his eyes. "Well, what the hell happened that's got your panties in such a bunch?"

"Well, there's this new girl and, well, she's fine, but I'm worried about the man she said was her dad." Scott explained while Derek listened intently. "There was something that wasn't right. There was a scent in the air, that was coming from him, and it was...I don't know how to explain it. It...burned, almost. I got a bad feeling about him." he explained and looked to Derek.

"What's her name?" Derek asked, a look coming across his face saying he knew something Scott didn't.

"Autumn Summers." Scott answered and a growl rumbled through the older of the two.

"Go home, Scott." Derek said and Scott stood where he was, uncertain if that was a good idea or not. "I'll talk to Peter. Just go home and I'll text you when Peter wants to see you again."

"Well, okay, but I don't like the sound of this. Are you sure Peter's going to be okay with this?" Scott asked, practically saying he was still afraid of the alpha.

"I said I'd handle Peter." Derek growled and gave the younger kid a push back towards the house where his bike was.

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**Autumn's POV**

"Do you think he'll really not let me go back, Mikey?" I asked, absently running my hand through the german shepherd fur. The dog whined a little and laid his head on my stomach in a comforting manner. "You're probably right. Once his mind's set, there's no going back."

There was knock on my door and I looked in its direction. "I'm heading into town. I'll be back in about an hour. Do you want anything?" I heard my dad ask when the door opened slightly.

"No." was all I said and I heard my dad sigh. I knew he felt bad about what he was doing, but that didn't stop me from being upset with him.

He didn't say anything else and just closed the door behind him. I waited until I heard the car start and drive away before sitting up and swinging my legs over the edge. "How about a walk, Mikey?" I asked and my bed creeked a little and there was a thump on the floor before he started licking my hand. "I'll take that as a yes." I smiled and got off my bed to search for the dog harness.

Finding it exactly where I'd left it, I called Mikey over and strapped him in. "Ready?" I asked and there was a happy bark in return.

Making it downstairs and outside was fairly simple. It wasn't until we made it outside that things became a little more difficult. The sun was starting to go down and it was messing with my eyes. Mikey led me into the back yard and once we were close enough to the woods, I felt around for one of the trees. Finding one, I slid down the trunk and settled on the dirt. Patting my leg twice, Mickey sat down in front of me and waited for me to take the harness off.

"Don't go too far." I said and gave him a pat on the head before he ran off on his own.

Leaning back against the tree, I let my eyes slide shut as I took in nature in possibly the best ways possible. I could feel the chill in the air against my arms as the sun started going down for the day and I could smell the pine needles that were littered all on the ground. It was a peaceful smell.

"You don't have to lurk in the trees." I said, being a little louder than necessary, but it worked because I could hear footsteps crunching the leaves.

"Are you sure it's such a good idea to let your guard dog wander off like that?" a deep voice asked as they stopped a few feet away from me.

"He'll come when I call. He always does." I answered with a small smile.

"What are you?" the man asked abruptly with a slight growl in his voice.

"Well that's a bit rude. Anyway, you're the werewolf, you tell me."

"If I knew I wouldn't be asking." they snapped back and I chuckled.

"Well, you know what my dad is. I'm assuming you knew what my mom was. So why don't you put two and two together and whatever you get is me."

"But that's not possible."

"Not probable." I corrected and grabbed the tree to pull myself up. "Just because there aren't many of us doesn't mean we don't exist. I just happen to be...more human than the others." I explained. "Vampires don't normally mate outside of their race. That's what makes people like me so rare. It helps in the long run though. If I wasn't half vampire, I don't think I'd make it being blind. At least this way my hearing and sense of smell are ten times better than a humans."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Third Person POV**

As soon as the girl's scent hit him when he was close enough, an overpowering need to protect whoever was at the other end came over him. Ignoring it, he approached the girl and demanded answers.

There was something off about the girl, Derek could sense it, but to the naked eye, she looked like a normal teenage girl. She even smelled normal. Strawberries and vanilla.

Her heartbeat was a little faster than a normal humans, but that easily could've been from being alone in the woods with a strange man she'd never seen before.

She also didn't look at him when she talked and, if Derek was a normal person, he might've considered it rude. Then she told him she was blind and that overprotective feeling doubled.

"How did it happen?" he asked, despite telling himself he couldn't care less about the half-breed in front of him. She was something that would've been killed at birth if Carson Summers hadn't distanced himself from the rest of his people. She was the spawn on his peoples biggest enemy, aside from hunters, so he couldn't understand why he waited patiently for her to answer.

"Car accident." was all she said and he could tell this was a touchy subject for her.

There was suddenly a low growl behind the brunette. He turned around to find a rather large german shepherd baring its' teeth at him.

Before he even had a chance to flash the dog a warning, the half-breed, Autumn Scott had caller, whistled. "Come here, Mickey. Leave him alone. He's no threat." she said and the dog immediately went to her side, waiting for his master to put his harness back on.

The werewolf watched as she reached down and felt around for the metal object before picking it up and applying it. "You should probably get going. My dad'll be home soon and I'd think you'd want to avoid conflict." she said as she stood up straight again, harness handle in hand.

"You're not afraid of me?" was all Derek could say, his voice disbelieving. She should've been terrified. He could have her pinned to the ground and her throat ripped out before she even registered what had happened, blind or not.

"What purpose would you have to attack a defenseless, blind girl?" she asked and Derek's eyes narrowed in response. Before Derek could verbalize a response, the blonde girl was already headed back towards the house. The brunette growled in annoyance and turned to head home himself. He somewhat had gotten the answers he wanted. Now he needed to go home and deal with the moody Alpha.

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**Autumn's POV**

It was strange. I'd been taught my whole life that werewolves were my enemies and here I was not getting eaten by them.

I jumped when there was a knock on my door and I hadn't realized my dad had come home. Without waiting for a reply, the door to my room creaked open. "Autumn, you awake?" my dad whispered, keeping quiet in case I was asleep.

"I'm up." I answered and there was a pause.

"I've been thinking. Maybe...you going to school isn't such a bad idea. I mean, you'll have Mikey in a few days and you won't have to rely on that mutt to help you around." he said, coming into the room and sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Really?" I asked, sitting up quickly and grinning. "I can go back?"

"Yes, but I have a two conditions. You don't go back till Mikey's training's finished and, when you do go back, you're to stay as far away from that mutt as possible. And you're to call me if anything goes wrong." he ranted and I couldn't help but squeal happily.

"Thank you, dad!" I practically yelled and threw my arms around the older mans shoulders in the tightest hug I could muster. There was a short pause before his arms wrapped around me and hugged back with just as much enthusiasm.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Autumn's POV**

Wednesday was finally here and it've just been my imagination, but Mickey was almost as excited as I was. Stiles had laughed and called me weird when I told him I missed it despite only having one one day. "You're one strange girl." he laughed Tuesday evening when he brought me the work I'd missed that day.

"Remember," Dad told me as we pulled up the school. "I don't want you near that mutt unless it's absolutely necessary. Even then I don't want you near him."

"I know! You've said it about a thousand times now!" I groaned and waited till the car made a full stop before eagerly jumping out and reaching for the back door so Mickey could get out. "Bye, dad!" I yelled over my shoulder as the two of us made our way to the front doors of the school.

Getting around was ten times easier with Mickey as my eyes and I made it to homeroom with no trouble. "Good morning, Ms. Summers. Good to have you back." Mr. Harris greeted and I smiled in return before making my way to my desk.

"Stay." I told Mickey as I sat down, letting go of his harness. He did as I said and laid down on the floor next to my desk. With nothing else to do, I decided to pull out my book and try to finish it.

It wasn't until Mickey started growling beside me that I took my attention away from the book. "So, Derek told me what you, uh, are." Scott said, sitting down next to me while I placed a hand on the dog's head to calm him down.

"So, he was the pushy grumpy one that came to talk to me." I said, closing my book and putting it back in my bag.

"Wait, Derek came to talk to you?" he asked and before I could answer, he interrupted me. "Actually, never mind. That sounds exactly like something he would do." he added, but paused for a moment. "So, does this mean we have to be enemies now?" he asked and I laughed.

"Well, it's what my father would like, but you know what? I've never done much of the whole 'teenage rebellion' thing. So, friends?" I asked and held my hand out to the other teen.

"Friends." Scott laughed and shook my hand.

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"I'm kinda new to the whole 'werewolf' thing so, what the deal with vampires?" Scott asked at lunch and I smiled.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, kinda feeling like a professor teaching mythology.

"Do you drink blood?" Stiles asked, a little overly excited about the whole thing.

"My dad does. He owns a blood bank in Tallasi, I know, kinda ironic." I chuckled. "He goes up there about once a month to feed before coming home. I don't need to drink blood because I'm still half human." I explained.

"Stake to the heart? Crosses? Holy water? Sunlight?" Stiles went on and I held up a hand to stop him.

"Absolutely have a cross in our dinning room. Holy water only works on demons. And vampires can get sun burns." I answered.

"There's such things as demons?" Scott asked, sounding overly concerned and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know! Not that I'm aware of at least." I laughed.

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"Hey, are you still coming to the game tomorrow night?" Stiles asked when Mrs. Beckerson wasn't paying attention.

"Of course. Though, I might not have told my dad yet." I said and Stiles put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry. I've got it." he told me turned around abruptly when Mrs. Beckerson called on him to give an answer.

"What're you planning?" I asked once the bell for the end of the day rang, curiosity getting the best of me. "Stiles!" I complained when he didn't answer and the other teen chuckled.

"Don't worry about it!" he said again, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "It's a fool proof plan! Now, I gotta get to practice. See you tomorrow." he reassured me, clapping me on the shoulder before bounding down the hall.

"You might want to have a backup plan just in case." Scott said from behind me. "His plans don't always work. No matter how 'fool proof' he thinks they are." he added with a smile to his voice.

"I'll keep that in mind." I grumbled and gave Mickey's harness a light tug to let him know I was ready to go.

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**Thursday Night**

I was going to kill Stiles.

"And where are you two going?" my dad asked the younger male, sounding every bit like the overprotective father he was.

"My lacrosse game, sir. I don't usually get to play, so I can explain everything to Autumn." Stiles explained and there was a long pause while my dad studied the young man in the doorway.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Stilinski. I know your father personally and don't think I won't bring him into this if there's one hair out place when you bring her home." my dad threatened and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Understood." Stiles said nervously.

Once we were out of eye and ear shot, I punched the other teen in the shoulder. "Ow! What's that for?" he asked, rubbing the sore spot.

"That was for telling my dad you were taking me on a date!"

"It worked though! I told you it was fool proof!" he defended and I rolled my eyes. "And you hit pretty well for someone who can't see." he added, complaining.

"You better hope this plan doesn't blow up in our faces. I don't think you understand  _how_  protective my dad is of me." I warned and Stiles chuckled.

"I got it covered! I'll just think of something else!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Autumn's POV**

When we got to the school, I could hear voices coming from everywhere. "How many people are here?" I asked, not liking that it was dark out and I couldn't make out any shapes.

"Almost the whole school. It's the first game of the season, so everyone's out to support us." Stiles explained.

"Hey, guys!" came a familiar voice from behind us and I smiled when I recognized it as Allison.

"Hey." Stiles and I said in unison and Allison took my arm.

"Why don't you come sit with me and my parents? I heard Stiles is being put in since Danny sprained his wrist the other day." she said and there was a loud, excited woop from next to us.

"Are you serious!? Sweet!" Stiles yelled and ran off, leaving me with Allison.

"So, Autumn," the other girl said, leading me away from Stiles' vehicle. "this is my mom and dad. Mom, dad, this is Autumn Summers." she introduced and I smiles.

"Nice to meet you." I said and held out my hand.

"Nice to meet you Autumn. I'm Chris. This is my wife Victoria." a male voice said and a strong hand took mine, shaking it.

"Likewise, Mr. and Mrs. Argent." I said and let my hand fall to my side before Allison took it in hers.

"Come on. Let's go get some good seats." she said and pulled me away again.

I didn't know why, but there was an off feeling I got from Allison's parents, but decided not to say anything and offend the other girl.

"Lydia's going to be joining us. Is that okay?" Allison asked and I nodded. Lydia wasn't too bad, but first impressions made her seem like a shallow, superficial ditz. It wasn't until we were partnered up together in chemistry that she showed who she really was.

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We were halfway through the game and I still didn't understand the concept of the sport. It might've helped if I could actually see what was going on. "I guess I'm just not a sports person." I said and Lydia placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. It's not mine either, but I only come to watch Jackson." she said and I suppose it was supposed to be comforting. So I smiled and laughed.

"So, how're we doing?" I asked and I had to lean closer so I could hear her over the crowd.

"Home: 7 and Away : 9. Two more goals and we win. I'm actually kinda surprised Scott's doing so well with the full moon being tomorrow night and all." she answered and I had to agree with her. Scott should've been getting ready for tomorrow night. It could be dangerous if he wasn't prepared.

"Is he going to be okay? I mean, I might not be an expert on werewolves, but I'm pretty sure preparing for the full moon is a big thing." I asked, concerned for Scott and anyone who crossed his path tomorrow is he wasn't properly prepared.

"I thought the same thing, but Scott says he's been working with Peter and Derek nonstop." she explained.

"Who's Peter?"

"Peter Hale. He became pack Alpha after Derek's father died. According to Scott, Derek was supposed to become Alpha, but he was too young when it happened."

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Beacon Hills won with two points ahead of the other team and the boys were excited. Allison was able to pry us away from her parent's eyes by telling them she was going to help me find Stiles. Even I could've found the team in complete darkness with the ruckus they were making.

"Congradulations!" I told Stiles after Allison and Scott ran off with what little time they had.

"Thanks! We've never played like that. You must be a good luck charm!" Stiles laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. Sure." I agreed sarcastically. "Now, get me home before my dad decides to skin you alive for not getting me home right after the game."

The entire drive home, Stiles never shut up. Not that I minded. It was nice to see the other teen so excited. "Do you need help to the door?" he asked when we pulled up to my house.

"Uh," I paused and looked in the direction of the house. "I don't think so. I think my dad has every light in the house on." I laughed and opened the door.

"What? No 'goodnight kiss'? Stiles asked and I rolled my eyes.

"You really don't want to live, do you?" I asked when he came around to help me out. I reached up and felt around his face till I found what I was looking for. I gave his cheek a light slap and smiled. "Congrats on your game, Stiles. And thanks for taking me." I said and, before the other teen could answer, I started making my way towards the house.

After about two hours of 20 Questions from my father, I finally found myself in bed, showered, and ready for sleep.

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The next day, school was fairly uneventful, besides Stiles sulking because Scott wasn't there. "Give it a rest, Stiles! He'll be back Monday!" I groaned as we made our way outside at the end of the day. "You'll probably see him Saturday anyway!"

"I know, but I feel lonely when he's not here." the other teen practically sobbed and I groaned.

"Go home, sleep through the night, and tomorrow, you can bombard Scott." I told the sulking teen and made my way to where my dad was usually parked.

"How was school?" he asked as I opened the back door so Mickey could jump in.

"Not too bad. I have to admit, though, that home schooling is a lot less stressful." I said and, before he could open his mouth, I cut him off. "But that doesn't mean I'm giving up real friends to get rid of the stress."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Autumn's POV**

When we got home, I let Mickey run around outside for a bit so he could stretch after sitting beside my desk all day before calling him. He loyally followed me upstairs and then laid on my bed while I did my homework or at least what I  _could_ do.

It was starting to get dark when there was a knock on my door and my dad came in. "I brought you some dinner." he said and placed the plate on the edge of my desk. "Chicken at 10:30, mac & cheese at 1:30, and peas at 6. And don't give me that look. Peas are good for you." he said and ruffled my hair a little before leaving. "And don't give them to Mickey. They make him sick." he added, shutting the door behind him.

"Yeah, well, they make me sick too." I grumbled, sticking my tongue out after I ate at least one spoonful. 'At least I tried' I told myself as I finished everything else on my plate.

When I took my plate downstairs, I kissed my dad goodnight and went back upstairs to shower. Afterwords, I pushed Mickey over so he wasn't taking up the whole bed and laid down. Sleep didn't take long to take me and I was out like a light.

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I didn't know what time it was when I woke up again, but it was still dark out and Mickey wasn't pressed against my back anymore. Sitting up, I felt around at the end of the bed and on the floor next to the bed, thinking he might've gotten too warm under the blankets and decided to sleep on the cooler floor.

When he wasn't there, I began to worry. It wasn't like him to wake up in the middle of the night and leave the room. I decided I should probably go look for him and threw the blankets off. I didn't like being alone and Mickey was usually always within earshot.

Carefully making my way downstairs, only missing one or two steps on the way down, I made it to the bottom of the steps. Feeling my way to the kitchen, I kept calling for the dog, keeping quiet so I didn't wake my dad.

I turned the light on and looked around, trying to make out the shape of Mickey.

Nothing.

Except the back door was open. Damn him for learning how to push down the latch and nose the door open. And of course it was the one time dad forgot to lock the deadbolt. Groaning, I felt around for the coat rack and grabbed my jacket. It was starting get chilly out and I didn't want to get a cold just because the dog decided he wanted to go for run in the middle of the night.

I slipped my shoes and left the house, leaving the kitchen light on and shutting the door behind me.

"Mickey, where the hell are you?" I called, taking small steps so I didn't trip or step on anything. Once I made it to the edge of the woods, I hesitated. The woods weren't someplace I usually went without Mickey. Who knew what was lurking in there! There could be spiders! Shuddering at the thought, I swallowed my fears and used the trees to navigate through the pitch black.

"Mickey!" I kept calling, hoping he'd hear me and come running like he always did. I stopped when I heard leaves crunch somewhere in the distance. "Mickey, that better be you." I threatened, but it even sounded weak to my ears. This just wasn't my night! Not only was I lost in the woods with no guide dog, my sense of smell was useless because of the change in season.

"You shouldn't be out here." came a familiar male voice and before I could scream, I was pushed up against a tree and a hand placed over my mouth. "Don't scream! I'm not going to hurt you." he said and slowly removed his hand. "You shouldn't be out here. Especially tonight." he went on and the grip on my shoulders lightened some.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked, starting to get pissed as I pushed at the broud chest in front of me.

"I should be asking you the same question." he growled, his grip tightening slightly again.

"I  _was_ looking for my dog!" I snapped, starting to loose my temper. "And who the hell are you!?" I practically yelled, frustration getting the better of me.

There was a long pause before he answered me. "Derek."

Great. This really wasn't my night. I was going to get eaten by a werewolf!

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**Third Person POV**

She shouldn't have been out here. Especially when there was a full blown full moon out. If Peter found out about her, there was no doubt in his mind that he'd kill her. And he didn't want that to happen. She was harmless. Or at least she didn't seem harmless.

It wasn't until he began to smell fear coming off of her that he realized when she must've been thinking. Letting go of her arms, the werewolf took a tentative step back and took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm not going to hurt you." he said again, his voice sincere.

"Where's my dog? Did you eat him?" she asked, her voice shaky despite putting up a brave front.

The brunette couldn't help but roll his eyes at her question and sighed. "No. I didn't eat your dog. He's probably just running around in the woods. The full moon can sometimes affect dogs as well. Especially if there's a pack nearby."

"Will he be okay? I mean, he isn't going be eaten by someone else is he? I kinda need him." she asked and Derek felt concern roll of the shorter teen.

He didn't know what came over him, but that feeling from a few days ago came back. It was the same feeling he got when he thought of something bad happening to her. He hated to admit it, but she'd been on his mind a lot since he sought her out. It didn't help that she'd become extremely close to Scott and Stiles. And that thought began to anger him.

"Damnit! Why do I want to protect you so much?!"the brunette growled out, frustrated and confused. Not a combination he enjoyed.

There was a long pause while the blonde wrapped her head around the question and realized what he was asking. "It's part of my defense mechanism. My body throws off a certain pheromone that causes people to want protect me instead of kill me. Being blind also helps with the whole 'completely helpless and harmless' aspect." she explained and the she became angry. "Wait! Is that the only reason you're not ripping my throat out?!"

"Yes. I mean no!" the werewolf said and began to panic, something Derek Hale wasn't accustomed to and would never admit to. "I don't know! I can't seem to think straight when you're near me!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Autumn's POV**

"I'm sorry." I apologized and then paused. "Why the hell am I apologizing?! I didn't do anything!" I snapped and turned, in what I really hoped was the right direction, and started to walk off. I was tired. I hadn't gotten much sleep and I was starting to feel it. I'd only made it a few steps before a large hand gripped my upper arm lightly.

"Where're you going?" Derek asked, his voice softened from the growl it was moments earlier.

"Home. Mickey'll come home when he's ready." I lied. I had no clue if Mickey would come home, but I knew  _I_  wanted to get back.

"You're going the wrong way then." He said and I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. And it ticked me off. So, I did the only thing I could do at a time like this. I crossed my arms and glared in the werewolf's general direction, really hoping I wasn't completely off.

"Then kindly point me in the right direction." I said and heard the other chuckle.

"Here." He said and gave my arm a light tug towards him. "I'll take you home."

I didn't have much of a choice so I took a chance and decided to trust the werewolf. I trusted Scott and he hadn't posed a threat. So why should Derek be any different? They came from the same pack, so they should have the same morals. Or at least that's what I decided to tell myself.

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The way home seemed to take much less time than it did getting lost. I was secretly extremely grateful Derek had brought me home. It would've been a disaster if dad had found out I was missing and had to go look for me. I'd never hear the end of it!

"Thank you." I said and was about to go up the steps and into the house, but Derek grabbed my hand.

"Autumn," he said and I turned towards his voice. "Be careful. Please." and before I could say anything, the warm hand that had held mine was gone. I couldn't hear anything else, so I headed into the house.

When I got back upstairs, it didn't take long for me to fall back to sleep.

When I woke up the next day, there was a familiar wait against my back. "Glad to see you're back." I grumbled and rolled over, wanting to go back to sleep, but my mind was already awake.

Groaning, I hauled myself out of bed and stretched.

Going downstairs, I found my dad in the kitchen and the wonderful smell of coffee that he made. "Morning, dad." I greeted, sitting down at the table where I knew a cup was waiting for me.

"Morning, sweetheart. Any plans this weekend?" He asked from the other side of the table.

"Nope. I know the drill. No leaving the house, keep the doors locked, food's in the fridge, top shelf." I recited, it engraved in my memory. "Did I forget anything?" I added sarcastically.

"Yes. New rule. And I really don't want to add it, but I realize you're not a little girl anymore. No boys. At all."

There was a long moment of silence before I finally figured out how to speak again without bursting into laughter. "Are you-are you being serious?" I asked, not able to hide the amusement in my voice.

"Completely. You going on that date the other day made me realize a new kind of threat. One I can't eliminate." He answered, his voice just as serious as it always was.

"Oh my god, dad, really? That isn't something you need to worry about!"

"Autumn, I worry-"

"Because you're my father. I know that, but there are things out there you can't shelter me from if you want me to live a normal life. Like dating boys!"

My dad sighed and I watched his shadow nod. "Okay. The rule still stands though. No boys unless I'm home."

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Later that day, reiterated the rules and kissed me on top of the head before leaving. He wouldn't be back till early Monday morning. I was pretty used to it, but that didn't mean I liked being in the house alone.

So, I did what I normally did when dad left: washed clothes, folded them, and tried to sort them as best I could. When I was done with the clothes, I ended up in my room reading and listening to the news.

It wasn't until there was a knock on my window and I fell off the bed that my night started to get interesting.

Once I picked myself up off the floor, I felt around to get my bearing and began to search for the window. Finding it, I unlocked it and opened. "Why are you knocking on my window?" I asked, not really caring who it was and really annoyed. For all I knew, it was Scott or Stiles coming to check on me.

"Because you didn't answer the front door." Came the much deeper voice of an older werewolf.

"And if my dad had answered the door?" I asked, hoping to sound intimidating as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You're dad left around noon. He stopped at the gas station before leaving town." Derek replied and I groaned internally. Of course he'd know that. "You're bleeding." He said a second later, concern laced through his voice.

"What?" I said and reached up to where there was a slight sting on my cheek. I thought I'd just bruised it, it wouldn't have been the first time, but when my fingers came in contact, I could feel the thick, gooey liquid.

"Shit!" I moaned to myself and felt my way to the bathroom. Once I was there, I grabbed one of the washcloths and wetted it with warm water. I couldn't hall but hiss as the stinging doubled because of the warmth.

There was a rustle behind me and when I turned around to ask what he was doing, the werewolf was right in front of me, close enough that I could feel the heat rolling off of him.

"You'll need this. It's not deep, but it might bleed a lot." He said and next thing I knew, he was removing the washcloth and putting a bandage over the cut.

"Th-thank you." I said and I was 98 percent sure I was blushing.

"No problem." he said, running his thumb lightly over my cheek and then up to the scar on the left side of my temple before clearing his throat and backing away. I took that moment to clear my head so I could think properly.

"Did you need something?" I asked after a brief moment, keeping my voice as steady as possible.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. With your dad gone, the only protection you have here is that mutt of yours." the werewolf answered as if it were the most obvious answer.

"Hey, I'll have you know Mickey's a pure breed. Or at least that's what I was told." I said, not really offended, but, to be completely honest, he was my closest friend. "Anyway, there aren't many people who know where we live. And those who do won't come up here either. They all think my dad's some kind of homicidal maniac. Not that they'd be completely wrong."

"Well, I, uh, thought I might stay with you and...keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't hurt yourself." the other said and I rolled my eyes.

"You make it sound like I'm completely incompetent. Almost useless."

"I didn't mean it like that! I swear!" Derek said, panicked and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't worry. You wouldn't be the first to think I'm completely helpless. Anyway, I still run into the occasional wall."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**Autumn's POV**

Oddly enough, I enjoyed the werewolf's company. It wasn't until he asked how I lost my sight that I started to feel uncomfortable.

"I was six at the time. It was a really bad car accident. We were coming home from visiting my mothers' parents. A truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and swerved into our lane. Dad didn't have enough time to swerve into the ditch or anything. He ended up hitting us straight on. I'm told my dad and I were lucky to get as few injuries as we did. We're lucky to have survived. I got a severe concussion, cuts from glass, and I broke my leg in three places. The force of the concussion is what caused me to go blind."

"What about your mom?"

"She died on impact. She was pregnant at the time too, so the strain it was putting on her body would've killed her in the hospital if she had survived with the same injuries as us. It took forever for dad to come out of his depression, not that I can really blame him. After that, he took me out of school and started home schooling me. He said it was to protect me from those who wouldn't understand if they found out about us and what I am. I still think the reason he did it was because he was afraid of loosening me too."

"I'm sorry." Derek whispered, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Me too." I said, feeling my throat tighten up, so I swallowed hard and plastered a smile on my face. "Thanks for listening. There aren't many people who know the whole story."

"So, that's how you got this." He stated rather than asked, running his thumb over the scar on the left side of my temple for the second time that night.

"I've got more. That's just the only one that's not coverable." I said and there was a low rumble coming from next to me. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but I was guessing it was a growl of some sort.

"Are you okay?" I asked, truly concerned.

"I'm fine." He said as he let his hand fall from my face. I was embarrassed to admit it, but I missed the warmth.

"What about you?" I asked, clearing my throat. "How did you become a werewolf?"

"I was born into it. Same as my sister." He answered simply and I smiled. It was nice to know he was willing to open up somewhat with me.

There was a loud clap of thunder outside and, as usual, I jumped and ended up bumping into the only other occupant in my room. "When did it start raining?!" I asked, surprised I'd missed something like that.

"It hasn't yet. It's getting ready to though." Derek answered and, as if to confirm, there was another loud boom. I moved closer to the larger body next to me, not caring about my embarrassment anymore. I'd been terrified of thunder since I was little and it was just one of those things that didn't go away.

"Sorry." I mumbled, but didn't make any attempt to move from the werewolf's side. It did, however, surprise me when Derek moved his arm so that it was wrapped around my waist and I could get more comfortable. "Thank you." I whispered and laid my head on his shoulder, enjoying the comfort he was offering.

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I didn't know when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, I knew I didn't want to wake up. There was an unfamiliar heat next to me, but it was something I could definitely get used to it. It wasn't until the night before came back to my mind that I flew into a sitting position. "Oh god!" I yelled and I felt my bed shake as the werewolf jolted awake.

"What's wrong?!" he asked, sounding still half asleep.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you last night!" I apologized and I felt the bed move again as Derek fell back into his earlier position with a laugh.

"Don't worry about it. It was...quite relaxing." he chuckled and there was no doubt in my mind that there was a grin on his face.

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Derek stayed with me for the rest of the day, but when it started to get dark, I had to practically shove him out the front door. "Derek, if my dad finds you here, not only are you dead, but so am I. I promised no boys and no werewolves! You just happen to be both!"

"Wait, can I do something before I go?" he asked, stopping in the doorway before I could get him completely out of the house.

"That depends. What is it?"

"This." he said and before I could ask him what he meant, I felt something warm press against my lips and a hand caressed the cheek that still had a band-aid on it. I was completely in shock. I had no clue what to do. It wasn't as if this had ever happened before. Before I could register how I should act, Derek pulled away and was gone.

I ended up standing in the doorway for what felt like hours, wondering if that had really just happened or if I'd just imagined it.

Then I laughed a little at the thought of what my dad would do if he found out. Knowing him, he'd drop dead from shock and then come back to life just to kill the younger male. Who knows what he'd do to me. To be completely honest, I was too afraid to even consider it.

Letting out a shaky breath, I shut the front door and went into the kitchen. I needed to think things over. What better way to clear your mind than to make dinner. I knew dad had already made something, but I needed to keep my mind occupied while simultaneously clearing it.

Cooking proved to be a little more of a challenge than I was used to, but with dad teaching me what to do, I was able to somewhat master it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**Autumn's POV**

I hadn't heard from Derek in about a week and I was starting to get worried. I decided I was going to ask Scott if he was okay, but he wasn't in class on that Monday and my plan was shot to hell. I knew Stiles wouldn't know, he'd already expressed his annoyance with the older werewolf several times a day. That was pretty much it for people who would know. I didn't know who else was in the pack. Well, Isaac was, but I didn't feel I knew him well enough to ask.

It wasn't until Dad dropped me off at the house and then had to leave to do some shopping that I caught the faint scent of the older teen.

Rushing upstairs, following the scent, I ended up in my room. "What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded, feeling excited but ticked all at once.

"I can leave if you'd like." He smirked from the other side of the room. The curtain was still closed from that morning so I couldn't see anything. For all I knew, he could've been right in front of the window.

"No!" I panicked and then mentally kicked myself. "I mean, you don't have to. Just, my dad'll be home soon." I corrected, trying to seem calmer than I really was. And there was no doubt in my mind that my cheeks were on fire.

"Then I better make my visit short." He chuckled and I heard him move forward, presumably towards me. "I wanted to...talk to you." He said, this time sounding less confident, nervous even. He stopped moving and I could feel the heat radiating off of him as he stood in front of me.

There was a long pause while the werewolf carefully chose his words. "Fuck it! I can't think of the right thing to say!" he ended up growling out. The next thing I knew, warm hands were cradling my face while slightly warmer lips brushed against mine. I stopped breathing. I knew I needed breath, but my mind wasn't registering what was happening.

For the first time in almost seven years, I sad and upset about being blind. Here I was, having my first real, more than two seconds, kiss and I couldn't even see the guy. "What's wrong?" Derek whispered, wiping the few tears that managed to slip out with the pads of his thumbs.

"Nothing. I just...I can't see you." I said, feeling foolish and like a child.

Derek chuckled and rubbed his nose slightly against mine. "I'm not all that to look at." he assured me and I giggled. Tentatively, I reached up so I could feel the werewolf's face. It was the closest I could get to knowing what he looked like.

Letting my fingertips glide over his face; his nose, eyes, chin, ears, through his hair, and lastly, over his lips. "You feel quite handsome to me." I smiled and leaned up to place a shy kiss where my hand still was. "You need to go." I whispered, but didn't pull away.

"Why's that?" he asked, letting his hands fall to my wait.

"Because," I said, finally reluctantly pulling away from the warmth. "I like my head being attached to my shoulders."

"You're dad's home." the werewolf growled before resting his forehead against mine for a few seconds and then he was gone. "I'll see you later." he promised before heading back out the window.

Minutes later, I heard the front door open and the rustling of bags. "I'm back!" he called up the stairs. I took a moment to collect myself before going downstairs to help put groceries away. "Are you feeling okay? You're kinda flushed." He asked, placing a hand on my forehead.

"I'm fine." I said, giving him a reassuring smile before taking the bag to was on the counter.

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For the next few month, Derek would sneak into the house when dad wasn't home and sometimes after he'd been asleep for a while. We talked about anything and everything. He told me about his mother, Talia, and her ability to shift into an actual wolf, his two sisters, Cora and Laura, his uncle, the not so new Alpha of their pack, and his father before he passed away.

He didn't tell me how his father had died and I didn't ask.

He asked me what I wanted to do with my life. Whether I wanted to go to college or not, if I planned on staying in Beacon Hills, what kind of job I wanted. And I told him the truth. "I...don't know. I haven't really given it much thought. I mean, I'd like to do so many things, but I know my disability will hold me back some."

Then I asked the question that had been in the back of my mind since the first time he began to show an interest in me.

"Why me? I mean, you come from an extremely well known family in the werewolf community, why not someone who holds the same status as you?"

There was a long pause while he chose his words carefully and I feared I'd made him realize I was right.

"Because most werewolf's of higher status are far to up-tight for my liking." He said with a chuckle and leaned down to place a light kiss on the tip of my nose. "Besides, you're special. I've never met anyone quite like you. You stand up for yourself, you don't take shit from anyone, and you don't let being blind hold you back anymore than you have to. Stop second guessing yourself, hun. I'm not going anywhere." He explained, rubbing his nose softly against mine, which made me smile.

It was an answer I was content with and I didn't feel the need to bring it up again.

It wasn't until Derek started acting tense whenever he came over that I began to worry.

"Are you sure you're okay? I can feel the tension rolling off of you in waves." I asked, placing a soothing hand on his arm, feeling the muscles jump at the contact.

Derek sighed and placed a hand over mine, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm fine. Really. Just some complications and quarrels at home. Nothing you need to worry about." He told me and I nodded, not wanting to push the topic too much. "Come here." He said and pulled me onto the couch so he could wrap his arm around me. "You worry too much." He whispered as I got as comfortable as possible in the crook of his arm.

These were the only times we could really do "couple" things. Dad was gone for the weekend, so we didn't have to worry about him. This time, however, we decided to do something other than talk. So, we put in a movie. A documentary to suit both our needs. Derek enjoyed history, but so did I, and it wasn't something that I had to see to understand.

I couldn't help but wish we could do this every weekend instead of once a month.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little about Vampires: Vampires are faster than werewolves, but they're fairly close strength-wise (making it a somewhat fair fight). Vampire's canines are sharper than the average human's, but when they feed, they grow like werewolves do. Their eyes change color, but not the red, yellow, and blue like werewolves. Their irises blow out and take up the whole eye, their eye's becoming the color of their irises. Vampires don't have claws, but they can grow their fingernails out to a sharpened point and can be used in a fight like werewolves. There are some Vampires who are telepathic, but they're fairly rare.

**Chapter Eleven**

**Autumn's POV**

That next Monday, everything seemed to fall apart. Earlier in the week, Mickey had sprained his ankle and we had to take him to Dr. Deaton. The veterinarian had promised me that Mickey would be fine and that he'd be up and ready for duty in less than four weeks. So, Stiles being the good friend he was, offered to help me around school. Well, he didn't exactly offer. Dad insisted he helped.

I didn't have the guts to tell him nothing was going on between me and the hyperactive teen, but, in a way, it helped me a little. It meant I didn't have to hide how giddy I was about someone  _else_. He just thought I was excited about Stiles.

"Are you sure you've got everything?" dad asked and I could tell he was more than nervous about not dropping me off and picking me up.

"Yes, dad." I said and turned in his general direction. "I'm gonna be fine! You need to stop being so nervous!" I said, giving him a reassuring smile before there was a honk outside. "I love you. I'll see you when I get home." I said quickly and kissed the older man on the cheek before grabbing my bag and heading outside.

It wasn't hard making my way to the jeep. All I had to do was follow the sidewalk to the driveway and then all I had to do was follow the big blob that wasn't dad's Kia.

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Everything was fine up until 6th period. Scott sat behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. Before I could turn around, he leaned forward to whisper in my ear so only I could hear him. "When the lunch bell rings, I need you to go with Stiles." he said and I looked towards him confused.

"Why?"

"I got a text from Derek last period. Something about Peter finding out about you and 'taking care of things'. I don't know exactly what that means and neither does Derek, but he said he didn't want to take any risks. I don't know what's going on between you two, but Derek's never this cautious with the rest of the pack." Scott explained and I felt my heart begin to race. "Hey, calm down! Nothing's gonna happen! I promise!" he assured me and put a calming hand on my shoulder. "Just stay with Stiles until someone else comes. It'll be either Isaac or Boyd, so you'll be in good hands. They're good wolves."

It was easy enough to tell someone not panic, but it was hard for that someone to actually do it when their life was being threatened. There was no doubt in my mind that Derek, Scott, or Stiles would let anything happen to me, but it didn't stop me from thinking the worst. "How did he find out?" I asked, continuously reminding myself to keep my voice down. Our conversation wouldn't sound good in or out of context.

"I don't know. Derek didn't go into too much detail." was the only answer I got before the bell rang.

There was no way I could concentrate in class. So, I did the only thing I could in a situation like this. Keep myself distracted. So, I pulled out my English textbook and began reading. Technically, I was three chapters ahead of the class, but I was used to working at a faster pace than the class was going.

I jumped when the bell rang for lunch and carefully put everything in my bag before Scott lead me out of the classroom like any other day. This time, however, Stiles was waiting outside of the classroom door instead of at our regular table in the cafeteria.

"Why can't things not be dangerous and deadly for once?" Stiles complained and Scott sighed. "It'd be great if we could just have a normal school year without someone getting maimed or killed. Instead, we've got werewolves and vampires trying to kill each other!" Stiles went on and I chuckled. I sort of expected it from him now and I guess I would've been worried if he didn't complain so much.

So I began to worry when Stiles got quiet as we went through the halls and down to the basement. "Scott said we should stay at the school. He doesn't think Peter'll make a move when there are so many people around. Isaac'll stay with you during 6th hour and then I'll drive you home. Derek thinks that's where you'll be the safest." he went on and I knew he was just as nervous as I was.

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We spent all of 5th period in the basement where they kept the old desks, textbooks, and school supplies. Stiles did everything in his ability to keep my mind off the situation at hand, but it only helped slightly. I was still worried about my life. I really didn't want to be ripped apart by the Alpha. After everything Derek had told me about his uncle, the man didn't like failure and he stuck with something till the end. No matter what it was.

I could only hope Derek would be able to do something.

When the bell for 6th hour rang, I heard Stiles stand up and walk over to the door. "I'll be back in about an hour." Stiles said and gave my head an awkward pat before rushing out so he could make it to class on time. I could smell the other werewolf, but his scent was a little more shy and softer than Scott's, Dereks, Boyd's, and even Erica's.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding concerned for me.

"Yeah." I smiled and shifted so I was a little more comfortable. "Just, you know, afraid my throat could be ripped out at any moment."

"I think you'll be just fine, Autumn. Peter can be a pretty scary guy, but...he's not a terrible person. He cares about us. I think he thinks he's projecting the pack by getting rid of any threats." Isaac explained.

"It's not like I can do anything! Or at least not that I'm aware of. I'm not capable to taking down an entire pack of werewolves. I wouldn't even be able to take out  _Stiles_! Dad started training me when I was younger, but after the accident, he stopped. He said he didn't want me in any situation where I'd need to fight. The only thing I'm capable of is smelling and hearing!" I exploded and paused to calm myself and take some much needed deep breaths. "I was told I could grow into my abilities as I get older, but nothing's happened." I went on and Isaac remained quiet while I ranted.

After a few moments, I finally calmed down and rested my head on the other teen's shoulder. "Thank you. I needed that. I can't rant to my dad like that. He's got enough to worry about as it is." I whispered and Isaac hugged me in return.

It was weird. Their Alpha was hell bent on killing me, yet they were risking their lives, especially Derek, to keep my safe and not ripped apart.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

**Autumn's POV**

For the next hour, I dozed on Isaac's shoulder, listening to the steady beat of his heart and letting my mind wander. I thought about how Derek was going to handle this, how my father was going to react when he found out the Alpha was trying to kill me, and, if it came to that, how the hell I was going to explain to my dad that, despite his warnings and rules to stay away from werewolves, I was starting to fall in love with one.

I jumped when there was a loud knock on the door, before either of us could move to open it, it opened on it's own and said werewolf's scent wrapped around me protectively and I began to feel better. "Thank you, Isaac." he said to the younger male and I heard his footsteps coming towards me until I began to feel his body heat was close enough that I could reach out and would no doubt touch him. "Everything's going to be fine. I'm going to get you home and make sure everything's taken care of." he said and his hand caressed my cheek. Leaning into his touch, I closed my eyes and sighed. His voice was filled with worry and a hint of fear.

"How did he find out?" I asked, my voice calmer than it was earlier.

"I wouldn't put it past him to have a spy or two." he answered, stroking my cheek bone as he helped me stand up. "And I might have a clue who it is." He added, sounding none to happy about it.

I took a few calming deep breaths before nodding. It made sense. If Peter had spies, they wouldn't be part of the pack. The only issue was finding out who it was.

"Come on. Let's get you home." he said, softer this time, and I paused to look at him like he was insane.

"I thought Stiles was taking me home?"

"I changed my mind. I don't want you out of my sight more than necessary. I'll handle your dad. All that matters is that you get home safe and stay that way. I just need you to trust me, Autumn." he said and he didn't leave much room for me to argue.

"I do trust you." I said and Derek kissed me on the forehead before we began the journey to my house.

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If I could see, there's no doubt in my mind that the look on my father's face would've scared me more than the thought of Peter getting his claws into me. I hadn't even got out of the car yet, but I could feel the older man's rage.

"I think I'm more afraid of my dad right now." I whispered, more to myself, but Derek gave a light chuckle and lightly squeezed my hand.

"I told you I'd take care of everything." He said and before I could argue, he gave me a quick kiss and opened the passenger side door.

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**Third Person POV**

As Derek lead Autumn up the path to the front porch, Carson's green eyes, filled with hatred and loathing, never left the werewolf. Derek really couldn't blame him. If he were completely honest with himself, he'd react the same way. He had no love for vampires, but he would have to make an exception. At least for Autumn.

"Go upstairs. We'll when I'm finished." The older man said, still not taking his eyes off of Derek, but the order was directed at his daughter. Without a word, the blonde went into the house and upstairs to her room. Once they heard her door close, Carson took a deep breath and spoke softly so Autumn would have a hard time hearing if she was eavesdropping. "I don't know what's going on between you two, but it's going to stop. Right now. I don't want you anywhere near her. I don't want to start an all out war between our families, so I'll say this once and only once. Stay. Away. From my daughter. She doesn't need to be running around with your kind."

There was a long pause while Derek waited to see if he would add anything else. When he didn't, the brunette took the opportunity to explain to the blonde what had happened. "Mr. Summers, there's nothing I want more than Autumn's safety. If you'd just let me-" he began, but was cut off when the other bared his fangs.

"I think you've done enough, mutt. I've worked too hard to put my daughter's life in the likes of your hands. Now I suggest you leave. I've got years of experience on you, kid, and I'd rather not stain my porch with blood." the blonde snarled before turning on his heel and going into the house, never giving Derek the chance to defend himself. I'd rather not stain my porch with blood." The other snarled before turning on his heel and storming into the house, never giving Derek the chance to defend himself. So, he did the only thing he could do. He left the front porch and headed straight for the woods, leaving his car.

He wasn't going to let Carson get under his skin. He needed to make sure Autumn was safe, despite what he father thought.

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**Autumn's POV**

This definitely hadn't gone the way I'd wanted. My dad knew about Derek, he knew about Peter, and he wasn't happy. There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to ground me and keep my chained in my room until I was a hundred. So when he came into my room and quietly sat on the edge of my bed, not saying a word, I started second guessing everything I knew about the universe. "Autumn," he began, his voice much calmer than I anticipated. "why him? What happened to that jittery boy you brought home last month?"

"Stiles is a little too...hyper for me, dad. I don't think I could keep up with him even if I wasn't blind! And, well, I don't know why I...there's just something about Derek! He's...there! Anytime I've felt down about  _anything_ , he's been there." I explained, my voice starting to die down due to the embarrassment of having any kind of conversation that involved my 'love life' with my father.

There was a long pause while he contemplated what I said and I really hoped he understood what I meant. "This is going to sound really out of character coming from me, but," he started, clearing his throat and continuing with a hint of awkwardness in his voice. "is there a sense of emptiness when he isn't around? Like there's something missing?"

"Um, well, I mean, yes. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Autumn, I know I've already had the 'birds and the bees' talk with you, but there are things I've avoided talking with you about." he stated and I felt this odd sense of dread set in the base of my stomach before the sentence was even fully out of his mouth. "Werewolves and vampires are similar in many ways, but the biggest difference is that vampires, well, we have what's known as a coniunx. It's latin for mate, spouse, wife, husband. It's someone our soul calls out to and, when they aren't around, we feel a sense of emptiness. I really  _really_ don't want to consider this as a possibility, but I believe Derek might be yours. What I'm trying to get to is that it can be deadly, if you've found yours, to be apart from them for long periods of time and, despite everything I've ever told you, I don't want to put you in any form of danger. When-when your mother died, it nearly killed me. I don't want to put you through something like that. Plain and simple, I'll...allow this thing with Derek to continue, but only under my strict supervision and never  _ever_ alone."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Autumn's POV**

I was completely stunned. That was not what I was expecting. Not only was I learning Derek might be my 'soul mate', but my father was also somewhat okay with it. If somewhat okay was still being the over protective father I'd know my whole life. Which made me feel a little better. But then the Derek 'issue' came back to the front of my mind. How the hell was I going to explain that to Derek. I didn't even know if we were dating. I mean, sure there was kissing, but then again, I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a bit oblivious. If bit meant completely.

"Now there's the Peter issue." my dad said, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to the matter at hand. "I knew Peter when we were younger, back when our families were less 'tolerant' of each other. I'm a bit surprised he's an alpha now. But, nothing to worry about, sweetheart. I'll take care of this. Hopefully it lead to bloodshed." he went on and I had to suppress a chuckle.

"You're the second person to say that to me." I mumbled, rubbing tired hands down my face. "This day's just a big roller coaster and I'm strapped to the front." I groaned as I fell back into my bed.

"Well, this is going to be taken care of once and for all. Talia and I used to get along fairly well, at least more so than the others. What I need you to do is go down to the basement, take Mickey with you, and lock yourself in the 'panic room'. And no matter what you hear, stay there." he said, patting my leg in a comforting manner. This was normal procedure. This is why the 'panic room' was designed. I guess all those drills were finally going to be worth it.

Pulling myself up and off my bed, I grabbed the book that was sitting on my nightstand and went downstairs then made my way clumsily down the basement stairs. Mickey wasn't too far behind me despite having a broken leg and I pulled the large metal door closed behind me, locking it into place. This was possibly the most stable place in the entire house. It wasn't too big considering my voice didn't echo much. There was a TV in one corner, a large fluffy couch, a fridge in another corner, a bookshelf filled with all kinds of books and some movies, and a phone used for the sole purpose of communicating with anyone inside the room.

My nerves were on fire. This was all for real. Normally, I'd just turn the TV onto the news, flop onto the couch and read until the drill was over.

This time, however, something could go wrong. My dad could end up dead, Derek could end up dead. Hell! Anyone could end up dead! Even Peter! I might not like the man, but he was still Derek's family. When Derek had told me about the whirlwind his family had been through since his father died, it was unbelievable. It sounded like a werewolf drama.

I couldn't keep worrying like this. They were all capable of taking care of themselves. They'd be absolutely fine.

With that thought, I walked over to the couch and fell onto it. I needed to not think about my dying dad, boyfriend, and friends. I needed to clear my mind. I needed to wipe my mind of any worry. So I did what I used to do when I was younger and would think about my mom. I turned on the TV, changed it to one of the classical music channels, laid flat on the couch, put a pillow over my face, and screamed as loud as possible. Screamed for what felt like hours. Screamed until I was all screamed out. And it helped. It really did. And before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

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The next thing I knew, there was loud banging on the door and I shot up on the couch. "Who is it?" I called hesitantly, the bleach and other cleaning chemicals in the other room messing with my sense of smell. When there was no answer, I carefully stood from the couch and felt my way to the door. "Dad?" I asked once I was there, trying to get a better bearing of the other room with what I  _could_ smell.

"Autumn, let me in." came the voice that set my nerves at ease. As quickly as I could, I unlatched the door, wrenched it open, and threw myself into the werewolf's body, feeling it sort of give in at the sudden added weight.

"Please tell me everything's okay. You're not hurt, are you? Is my dad okay? Where's Peter?" I asked, not giving him the chance to answer before I smelled blood. Not just a scratch or something small. I mean, like open wound, _spurting blood_ , blood. "Are you bleeding? Oh god, Derek, what's happened? Who's bleeding to death?" I began to panic, but Derek wrapped his arms around me in what was supposed to be a comforting manner, but for some reason, it started to make me feel even more nervous.

"Everyone's fine." he said a little flatley and I don't know why, but it made my heart sink. I could sense the sadness in his voice and it made me cling to the larger body a little tighter.

"I'm sorry." I whispered and deep down, I knew this was my fault. Peter was coming after me. And Derek ended up killing his own uncle because of it. I didn't need him to say it. The blood he was saturated in was answer enough. "I'm so sorry." I whispered, hugging the werewolf tighter, tears forming as I couldn't help but think this would push us apart and the thought of that happening made my heart clench even more. Maybe what my dad had said was true.

"You're safe. And that's all that matters." he mumbled and hugged me back, tight enough to make me go breathless for a moment. There was truth in his voice, but there was something else. Something that had nothing to with the death of his uncle.

"Derek, what's wrong? You need to tell me or I'm going to have a panic attack." I told him, looking up at him despite not being able to actually see him. "Please." I practically begged, more than worried at this point.

"It's nothing you need to worry about." he told me softly as his hand came up to cup my cheek fondly. Before I could protest, he leaned down and pressed a light, but pointed kiss to my lips. "On a somewhat lighter, but slightly more terrifying note, I had a talk with your dad." he said, rubbing his nose against mine.

"I know. I heard you two when I was sent up to my room. Honestly, it went better than I'd originally-" began, but when Derek chuckled, I stopped dead. "Oh god! He didn't! No! Oh god!" I was going to die! This wasn't happening! I was hoping to put it off for  _some_ time. This wasn't a conversation I was ready for!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Autumn's POV**

Derek was laughing. Laughing at my expense. Here I was, about to die of embarrassment, and he was laughing. "Derek! This isn't funny!" I shrieked, hitting him in the chest as hard as possible, but it wasn't enough to even phase the werewolf.

"Autumn, calm down! You're father explained everything. He didn't think you'd be able to put into actual words. After multiple threats on my life, he told me to come get you and we should...talk." he explained with a light chuckle.

"So he told you everything? I don't have to explain anything?" I asked, not even bothering to keep the hope out of my voice.

"He might've added a few other things, but I was told that you weren't to learn about them until you're older. Much older. Or else I could lose vital parts of my anatomy. Parts I'd much rather keep."

I couldn't help but laugh. Sure, I was curious about what he'd told Derek, but I knew better than to ask. Not with his genitals on the line.

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Two weeks had passed and things seemed to go a lot smoother than they were before. Dad had insisted Derek have dinner with us once a week so he could get to know the werewolf. Even if he didn't like it. He was at least showing an effort and that's what

mattered.

As Derek and I spent more time together, I started to understand what my dad meant about being apart from him. When he'd go home at the end of the night, there was a sense of emptiness that just didn't seem to go away no matter what mood I was in. It wasn't unbearable, but it wasn't something I'd want to feel for the rest of my life. It made me sad for my dad. Is this what he felt constantly after my mom died? Would it feel like this if something happened to Derek? Or would it be worse?

I didn't have much time to dwell on these thoughts because a new panic had arisen.

"Autumn," Derek chided, burying his nose into the crook of my neck. "You don't need to get yourself all worked up. She just wants to meet you. She doesn't care what you are. You're forgetting, she tried to stop Peter as well." he tried to reassure me, but it did little to calm me down. "Plus, Laura's going to be visiting from New York and Cora's coming home from her trip around the world. My sisters are just going to  _love_  the fact that they can tease me again." he added and  _that_ helped me relax.

"When is it again?" I caved, knowing it was going to happen sooner or later anyway.

"Saturday. I'll pick you up. And stop panicking. It's just dinner. Technically I should be the one worried. Not only am I going to be trapped with four women and my sisters are never going to let the fact that I've gone 'puppy eyes' for a vampires kid." he said and I laughed. It was nice to know he was going to be tortured for what he was putting my through. I wasn't good with people. I usually didn't have to. A lot of times, people tried to steer clear because I was blind and they didn't want to end up offending me or doing something that would embarrass themselves. It was sort of nice.

"What are 'puppy eyes'?" I giggled, burying myself more into the werewolf's body heat against the cold night air.

"It's something my dad started when we were kids. Whenever the girls would get a crush on someone, dad would say they went all puppy eyes whenever it was brought up. I guess it's just something that stuck." he answered before standing and pulling me with him.

"I think it's time to get you home. You still have a curfew and it's starting to get colder." he said and, before I could protest, picked me up bridal style. Squeaking, I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck. I did  _not_  like being picked up. There was something about not being able to see exactly how far off the ground you were. "Calm down. You'll be warmer this way. I'm not going to have you freeze to death because you refused to bring a jacket." he scolded, but there was hint of teasing in his voice.

"Humph!" I grumbled under my breath, but held onto the werewolf for dear life nonetheless. The walk to the house wasn't that long. We'd only gone down the creek which was about a football field away from the house. Once we got to the back porch, Derek put me back on my feet. "Are you staying for dinner?" I asked, already knowing the answer already, but thought it was a nice gesture to ask anyway.

"It's Thursday. Of course." he said and took my hand when I held it out for him.

This Thursday was no different than any other. As we sat at the table, dad would integrate the werewolf and I was wondering how he hadn't run out of things to ask. Derek happily answered each and every question, really putting an effort forward to keep the tension down between the two. I know he'd never admit it, but I think he was starting like Derek somewhat.

I wasn't ashamed to say that I was thrilled they were making progress. Well, they at least weren't trying to rip each other's throats out and, in my book, that was definitely progress.

"Thank for humoring him. I know he means well by me, but I also know he enjoys making your life a living hell." I laughed after dinner and dad had to leave the room to answer his phone. Derek rolled his eyes and gave my hand a light squeeze under the table before he stood and kissed me on the cheek.

"I gotta get going. I have to pick Laura up from the airport tomorrow morning." He groaned. "I'll see you tomorrow after school." He added and was about to head to the door, but I grabbed his hand and stood up, wrapping my arms around his neck in the process. "Your dad's watching." He whispered, but wrapped his arm around my waist as if he wasn't slightly intimidated by the older man.

"Then he'll just have to deal with it." I said pointedly and leaned up on my toes to place a kiss wherever I could reach. Sadly, but not so much, I could only reach his jaw, his stubble tickling my lips. With a defeated chuckled, he bent his head so I could reach my original target. It wasn't passionate, but it wasn't emotionless. It was...sweet. Even my dad would have a hard time protesting it. But he did anyway, clearing his throat when he'd deemed it went on long enough.

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"I really wish you wouldn't do that." Dad grumbled after Derek left and I was putting the freshly washed dishes in their respective cupboards and draws. I couldn't help but grin.

"I haven't the faintest idea of what you mean." I teased and there was a low rumble from behind me. A warning growl that made me roll my eyes.

"Keep it up and I just might go back on my word." He threatened before leaving the kitchen. It was an empty threat, but a threat nonetheless. I still didn't plan on taking it seriously though.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Unknown POV**

" _Something has to be done!"_

" _No! Not until we're certain."_

" _Agreed. For all we know, she's completely harmless."_

" _She's getting too close to the werewolves! The Hale pack is one the strongest that isn't an Alpha pack. Two Alphas in one pack can be dangerous. There are rumors that the eldest plans on branching off."_

" _And Carson's allowing it!?"_

" _He doesn't have much of a choice. If he truly is her coniunx, there isn't anything we can do. It goes against our order to keep two mates apart from each other. That's why we let Carson leave without much fuss."_

" _And if they conceive? There's never been a human/vampire/werewolf hybrid. That's completely uncharted territory. Hell! There's never even been a vampire/werewolf pairing!"_

" _We'll have to address that issue if or when it arises."_

" _We should still keep an eye on her. In case she comes into her inheritance. She could become a real threat if she does."_

" _She's blind for christ's sake!"_

" _That doesn't mean she can't be a threat. She's already become part of the middle child's pack. If she comes into full inheritance, she could become a weapon used against us. And the others."_

" _Should we warn the others?"_

" _Not yet. We still have four years till she comes of age."_

" _And if it happens before then?"_

" _Then we act. We can't run the risk of her_ overthrowing _."_

" _Then it's settled. We wait it out."_

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**Autumn's POV**

"Hey, are you okay? You've been kinda off all day!" Stiles asked, nudging me in the shoulder during PE.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. It's just..." I started, but paused.

"What is it? Did Derek do something?" Scott asked, his voice tensing slightly. There was something the pack wasn't telling me and it was really starting to get on my nerves. But I decided to put it aside for now.

"No. Of course not! It's just that my dad got a call from my old eye doctor. He says...there might be a way I can get my eyesight back. It's a extremely experimental surgery and I could make me completely blind if it doesn't take, but he says there's a 70% success rate at this time." I explained. I was thrilled. I really was, but there was that 30% that worried me.

"Autumn, that's great!" Stiles exclaimed, making me jump a little.

"It is! I mean, imagine what it'd be like to see again." Alison said enthusiastically.

I didn't know how to answer. I mean, I wanted to see again, but I didn't want to risk losing what I had.

"Are you gonna do it?" Scott asked.

"I don't know. I thought I'd take some time to think it over. Talk with my dad about it. Get Derek's opinion." I said truthfully.

"Is he still picking you up from school?" Alison asked, moving from her normal spot next to Scott to sit next to me on the bleachers. I didn't like to think about, but Alison had taken up the responsibility of coaching me in what it was like having a werewolf for a boyfriend.

"He has been for the past two weeks. Ever since my dad found out, and is  _somewhat_ okay with it, it's like Derek is taking every and any chance to be with me. Like he's afraid my dad's going to realize what he's done and ban us from seeing each other again." I chuckled and Alison laughed next to me.

"It would be nice if my parents weren't trying to kill Scott every chance they can. It's be nice to have a somewhat normal relationship every now and again. Then we wouldn't have to sneak around like we do." she said after Scott and Stiles decided to 'leave us girls alone' and went to play basketball with the rest of the class. "I think they'd blow a fuse if they knew what was really going on." he laughed and I chuckled along with her. It was nice having someone to talk with, but it got weird really quick when she started bringing sex into the conversation. I couldn't blame her really. She was in love. But now I understood why Stiles complained so much after talking with Scott.

All in all, it was worth it. This was what being a teenage girl meant. Gossiping about boys and awkward sex talks. Luckily, she hadn't decided to scold me about my 'fashion sense'. Lydia decided to do that. The smaller girl and I weren't particularly close, but she was nice to me nonetheless. As we got to know each other more, I started viewing her differently than I had when I first met her.

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"I want your opinion! Quite telling me it's my choice! I already know this!" I complained, burying my face in the werewolf's chest.

"I don't know what to tell you then. I can't just say yes or no. That's something only you can decide." Derek answered, wrapping his arms around me.

After he'd drove me home, he offered to help with my homework like he usually did. When we were done, we still had some time before dad was supposed to come home. So we took the opportunity to laze on the couch together. My father would no doubt throw a fit if he came home to find me practically laying on top of the werewolf.

I ended up grumbling into his chest and he chuckled, the sound flowing through his entire body. "Dad doesn't think I should. He says I shouldn't risk losing what I've got. I-I kinda agree with him. What if something goes wrong and I won't be able to see anything anymore? I would be like when I first lost my sight." I went on, feeling myself beginning to have a panic attack.

"Then don't go through with it." Derek said, his arms tightening around me for comfort.

"But I want to see again. I want to see what my dad looks like again. I want to know what you like like. What everyone else looks like." I whispered, letting Derek's warmth comfort me. This was possibly going to be the hardest decision I'd have to make and I had absolutely no clue what to do.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Autumn's POV**

After long consideration, I decided against the surgery. My reasoning: if I waited, the success rate would get better and, if I decided to go through with it, I wouldn't be as worried. Everyone seemed to understand my reasoning and didn't bring it up again. That I was grateful for. Things were perfectly normal for about a day. Then Saturday came I thought I was going to have to crawl under my bed and hide there until the day was over.

Derek must've known my plan because he came over early that day to keep an eye on me. He insisted he wasn't, but I knew better. "Are these the same color?" I asked, holding up two different sweaters. They both felt the same, but that did me no good.

"One's a slightly darker shade of purple."

"Which one's darker?"

"The one of the left."

Nodding, I threw the sweater in my right hand onto the bed and went into the bathroom. "I still don't know why you're making such a big deal about this. My mother doesn't care." Derek chuckled as I came back out, finally dressed.

"Because I want to make a good first impression. She's an important part of your life and I don't want to screw anything up. Does everything match? I'm not wearing a red skirt or anything am I?" I asked, my nerves on fire.

"I'm positive. You're leggings are white, you're skirt is the light purple one you asked me to get out of your closet, and your sweater is the dark purple one you wanted." he answered with humor in his voice. He knew I was panicking and he found it amusing.

Making an aggravated sound in the back of my throat, I wondered if I just sat on the floor, would Derek literally carry me out of the house like he threatened? Deciding on yes, I grabbed my shoes from beside my bed and put them on. "Okay. I'm ready. If I die, I'm holding you personally responsible." I threatened.

Derek didn't say anything, but came up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, rubbing his nose against mine. "I promise everything'll be fine. Everyone's excited to meet you. Laura's already began the teasing. I think Cora's holding back until after she's met you. And, to be completely honest, I think your dad's more of threat to me than my family is to you." he whispered, letting me go limp in his arms.

"Promise?"

"Promise." he said confidently and I sighed.

It had to be done. Sooner better than later I kept telling myself as we drove to the Hale house. It didn't feel like a long drive, but when I asked Derek how far he lived from town, he told me it was a little under two miles. When we stopped in the driveway and Derek turned off the car, that dread feeling settled in my stomach again and I could feel my heartbeat racing.

"Before we go in, there's something I want to give you. I should've done it earlier, but I didn't know when would be the best time to do it." he said, but before I could ask what he meant, I felt him walk behind me and lift my hair. I felt a slight weight on my chest as I heard a metal clasp fastening. "It belonged to my grandmother. It's sort of a family tradition to give it to someone you love." he explained softly, his hands resting on my shoulders.

Reaching up, I felt the object, trying to decipher the shape. It was an odd shape, one I couldn't name just by feeling it. "What is it?" I asked, feeling the weight of it on my chest when I let my hand fall to my side. It was the only thing I could ask, his words burning holes into my mind, causing me to go blank.

"It's a wolf. Made out of pure silver. Sort of ironic. That's why it's been in my family for over two hundred years." he answered, giving my shoulders a light squeeze and I laughed a little. It really was ironic. "My grandfather gave it to my grandmother, she gave it to my father, he gave it to my mother, and she gave it to me." he went on, trying to fill the silence, his voice a little nervous now. So, I did the first thing that came to mind.

Turning around, I leaned up and kissed him to shut him up. When I pulled away, his hands fell to rest on my hips so I couldn't take a step back like I was planning. "I love you two, you idiot." I laughed and placed a kiss on his collar bone since it was the easiest place to reach without leaning up again.

"If you two are done making out on my front lawn, I'd like to meet the young lady who's had my boy in a tizzy for months now." came a strong, but casual feminine voice from the front porch and there was no doubt in my mind that it was Derek's mother. Despite not being an Alpha anymore, she still held an air of authority about her and I was certain no one would dare cross her if they valued their life.

I could feel my cheeks begin to burn, but Derek only chuckled and took my hand, leading my to the house. "Mom, this is Autumn Summers." was all he needed to say before the older woman enveloped me in a large hug.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, dear. You're just as pretty, if not more, than Derek lets on. You look like your father, but you have your mothers eyes." she said after pulling back, but not letting go of me.

"You knew my mother?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Of course. We were good friends in high school. When she left for college, she met your father. She's the one who kept things civil between my husband and your father. I'm sorry for your loss. I was devastated when I heard what happened." she answered and I don't know why, but it was comforting to know someone other than myself and my father held her in such high regards. I didn't have time to answer before someone else interrupted us.

"Is she here?" someone yelled from the house.

"Well, we'd better introduce you to Derek's sisters. If I don't, they might die of anticipation. Laura's especially excited." the older woman laughed and I laughed with her. I hadn't expected it to so smoothly. I hadn't expected to be welcomed so easily. I had a feeling my mother's influence played a large role.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Autumn's POV**

Everything was happening so quickly. I didn't know why, but Laura had taken an instant liking to me and Cora, even though she was a little skeptical, she was extremely nice to me and by the end of the night, she talked to me as if I were her best friend. It was...nice. Wonderful actually. The three most important people in Derek's life had accepted me with open arms. Laura and Cora treated me like a sister and Talia treated me like a daughter. It was possibly one of the best feelings I'd ever felt.

"Not as bad as you thought it would be, did you?" Derek whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on top of my head while Cora argued with her mother. His voice was impossible smug and it made me want to pinch him. Not that it would do any good. He always seemed to know what I was scheming.

"Fine. I was wrong. You were right." I chuckled, rolling my eyes in the process. "And don't think you'll hear that very often." I added quickly, Derek chuckling in return.

At the end of the evening, everyone insisted on hugging me at least three times before Derek was finally able to get me into the passenger seat. "Make sure you visit so much that this becomes like a second home to you." Talia told me as she hugged me one last time.

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**Third Person POV**

"I liked her. She's such an opposite of Der." Laura chided as the Camaro went out of view.

"She's quite a good complement for your brother. It's a shame Peter had such a closed mind. I think if he'd taken the time to get to know her, he wouldn't have been so quick to pass judgment." Talia mused, her tone slightly saddened.

"She's still half vampire." Cora interjected, causing the other two to look at her, both slightly shocked. "I'm not saying I don't like her." she defended after getting the stunned looks. "I do, but this is going to cause issues.  _Big_ issues. What about her dad's old Covenant? I highly doubt they're going to accept this as easily as we have. Vampires have been know to be one the most closed minded races out of any of us. And I'm certain they weren't too thrilled about Autumn in the first place. I'm surprised they haven't done anything yet. It's not like them to wait things out like this." she explained, causing the other two to sigh as they realized the truth in the youngest Hale's statement.

"Well then," Talia said, smiling at her daughters. "as the newest member of the Hale pack, we'll do what we can to keep things peaceful for Autumn. I'm sure as new pack alpha, Derek will agree. When he comes home, we'll discuss this more properly." she finished and went into the house. The other two knew she was right. Laura had said she didn't want to be Hale pack alpha, so it fell to Peter. Then to Derek. It was up to him what they did, but it also depended on what Carson's old Covenant did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A vampire Covenant is like a werewolf Pack. I'll go into more detail as the story goes on.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Autumn’s POV**

Things went well for about a week. That’s when _he_ came to town. The man who Derek and his pack, even my dad, seemed to be afraid of. I didn’t really understand it. He was just a human. A hunter, sure, but still a human. Or at least that’s what I thought until I actually met him. Dad had wanted me to go shopping with him and, even though I complained, I went anyway. It wasn’t often anymore that dad and I got to spend a lot of time alone anymore.

 

When dad's laughter abruptly stopped, I knew something was wrong. "Carson. I didn't think you had stayed in Beacon Hills after your...wife died." came a smooth voice that, even though it was calm and collected, it had a bone chilling feel to it. I instantly felt a firm sense of dislike from him, but he also made me want to hide behind my dad. But I didn't. I held my ground.

 

“And you must be Autumn. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.” he chuckled, sounding as if he were an old family friend who we hadn’t seen in years. He held out his hand for me, but I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me not to reciprocate. After a moment, he let his hand drop to his side. “Well, I should be going. Chris and I are supposed to...spend some quality time together.” he said before leaving without another word. I was relieved when I couldn’t smell him anymore and that feeling in the pit of my stomach started to fade.

 

Dad ended up grabbing my arm and abandoning our cart before pulling me out of the store and into the car. Once we were inside and on our way back to the house, dad was strangely quiet. “Autumn?” he finally said, breaking the silence. “I want you to promise me something.” he said and I nodded. “If you ever find yourself alone with him, Gerard, I want you to run. Run as fast and far as you can.” he said, his voice was calm, but there was fear in it. And I completely understood why.

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Later that Night

“He shouldn’t have been anywhere near you.” Derek growled, keeping his voice low enough so that my dad wouldn’t know he was there. Technically speaking, he wasn’t supposed to be here at all. Especially not alone with me in my room.

 

“There was something about him that just...scared me.” I told him, letting the heat of Derek’s body soothe me as I practically laid on top of him. Derek’s arms tightened around my waist, coaxing me into relaxing even more. “I don’t understand though. Why’s he here all of a sudden?”

 

“His daughter, Kate, was killed by another pack not too far from here. He’s declared war so to speak. He’s hell bent on taking out any and all werewolves. Innocent or not.” he explained, rubbing soothing circles into my hip as he spoke. I had a feeling he was trying to put me to sleep so I wouldn’t keep bringing the subject up, but I’m stubborn and it wasn’t going to end that easily.

 

"What are you going to do?" I asked, feeling my eyes start to droop despite my efforts.

 

"Avoid conflict. Steer clear at all costs. I might even have to keep Scott and Allison from seeing each other. I don't want to, I mean I know how I would feel if it was us, but...the safety of the pack comes first. Always. Allison might inadvertently be part of the pack, but she would be safer if she stayed away. Gerard wouldn't do something to his own flesh and blood. Or at least I don't think he would."

 

I couldn't help but smile at how much he cared. He might put on the tough guy act, but underneath, he was just a big puppy. And he made it extremely clear how much he disliked it by pinning me down and tickling me until I promised never to say it in front of the others. I'd kept quiet this long, but I was determined not be silenced so easily.

 

I didn't actually hear what he said after that, but I knew it was something along the lines of encouraging me to go to sleep. Already in a hypnagogic state, it wasn't hard to give in.

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The next morning when I woke up, Derek was gone, but he'd left his jacket. It being a Monday and having the day off, I rolled over and buried my face in the leather and let myself drift into an drowsy half awake and half asleep state. Mornings like these were my favorites. I didn't have to be up and ready for school and I could lay in bed for as long as I wished. It was a shame I had to do things that day. As I lifted myself into sitting position, I decided to actually put Derek's coat on.

 

It wasn't one of my brightest ideas, but it still worked. I'd never be able to wear the thing anywhere even if I really wanted to. I swam in the thing. It was at least three sizes too big for me. It didn't stop me from wearing it around the house that morning though. If my dad had any kind of remark, he kept it to himself and that was a shock in and of itself. But I wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Any plans for the day?" I asked as I sat down with a cup of coffee.

 

"Nothing in particular. Grocery shopping." he answered, acting as if yesterday never happened. "I'll drop you off at the library." he added and I smiled.

 

"Thanks." I said and finished my coffee before heading upstairs to get ready for the day.

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Out of all the jocks, aside from Scott, Stiles, and Isaac who I actually knew on a personal level, Danny had to be the nicest. I didn't get along well with Jackson. I thought he was far too full of himself for his own good. Danny, however, was as sweet as could be.

 

"Did you finish chapter 14?" I asked as I felt around my bag for the book we were reading in English. I was already done with the book, but Danny was falling a bit behind on his reading due to lacrosse practice.

 

"Yeah. And I started 15." He answered and I smiled.

 

"Great. We'll have this report finished by the end of the week." I laughed and pulled out my notebook and turned to a blank page.

 

"Wow! How do you write so straight?" He asked as I flipped through the pages. "No offense or anything. I just wasn't expecting it." He added quickly, afraid he'd offended me.

 

"Don't worry about it." I chucked. "I can feel the texture difference where the lines are printed on the page. I just feel along the line as I write and hope it comes out straight."

 

"That's amazing!" The taller teen laughed and I grinned.

 

"Thank you. Now, give me your interpretation of chapter 14 and what you think the author was trying to convey." I said and we began working on the report. The hard part would be composing a presentation based on our interpretations. Luckily, Danny offered to present it to the class. Sadly, being blind didn't stop social anxiety and the fear of getting up and talking in front of people.

 

It only took us about an hour to finish the summary of chapter 14. All that was left was chapter 15 and we'd be completely done with the project. Which worked out perfectly since I knew I'd have to help Scott and Stiles with theirs because they were both still only on chapter ten.

 

"We can meet after school on Thursday. Coach has to be at a teachers conference, so we're not having practice." Danny said as he helped me to the front of the building.

 

"Sounds good." I said and leaned against the wall so I could wait for my dad.

 

"You sure you don't want me to wait with you till your ride gets here? It's not a big deal." He said after a moment and I smiled.

 

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about it. It shouldn't take my dad long to get here." I assured him and he nodded.

 

"Okay. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

 

"See ya."

 

After that, it was fairly silent, aside from the occasional car driving past or someone walking down the street. It was nice out and there was a slight breeze, so I let myself slide to ground and take in all the scents around me and tried to guess which each one was.

 

When I smelt the scent of apples, metal, and medicine, I tensed again. I'd only smelt the scent once before, but it was one I'd never forget.

 

I quickly pulled myself up off the ground, grabbed my bag, and was about to make a break for it, but someone laid a hand on my shoulder. "Leaving so soon? We didn't really get to know each other." Came the same cool and collected voice from yesterday, but there was something else to it this time and I couldn't quite place it.

 

"Thanks, but I'd rather not. Plus, you know, was taught not to talk to strangers." I said quickly stepping back and bumping into someone else.

 

I'd been so caught up in wrapping my mind around the situation that I didn't even notice the second, much more pleasant scent. I relaxed slightly as familiar hands rested on my shoulders, slightly possessive in the presence of the older man.

 

"Derek. I didn't think you spent much time at the library." Gerard said lightly as if he wasn't itching to drive something into the werewolf behind me.

 

"I quite enjoy reading, Gerard, but I'm here to pick Autumn up. Her father wasn't able to so he text me and asked if I could." He said and I knew he was lying. Hell would freeze over before my dad asked Derek for a favor. It didn't matter though. Derek was here and that seemed to be all I needed to relax somewhat.

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Autumn’s POV**

There was a long stretch of silence and I knew Derek was holding back on his true feelings, his fingers were digging into my shoulders just a bit too tight, but I kept my mouth shut. It was keeping him from doing something stupid. “Well, Ms. Summers, I do hope we’ll get a chance to actually get to know each other sometime soon.” Gerard said and Derek didn’t even try to stop the growl that came out of his mouth.

 

I reached up and placed a hand on top of one of his in what I hoped was a calming gesture. “Until next time.” the older man chuckled before walking away. The grip on my shoulders steadily lightened until they were only resting on my shoulders again.

 

Derek wasn’t calm though. I could feel his heartbeat from where I was pressed against his chest and it was racing. Suddenly, his hands were gone from my waist and I was being pulled away from the library. I couldn’t understand. Why was Gerard insistent on ‘getting to know me’. I mean, he was here for werewolves. Not that that was a comforting thought either, but why come to me? Sure I was half vampire, but in reality, I was more human than anything else. He shouldn’t want anything to do with me.

 

"I'm not taking anymore risks." Derek growled more to himself, but loud enough that I could hear it. "First Isaac's dad and now this."

 

"What happened to Isaac's dad?"

 

"He was attacked and killed last night. He's staying at my place for now."

 

"But why are they going after families?" I asked, guessing it had something to do with Gerard and the new hunters in town.

 

"It wasn't them. It was...something else. We’re not sure yet." Derek answered, his voice softer this time. "You're not going to be left alone anymore. With Gerard and whatever else is out there, I'm not going to take anymore risks." He went on, using the hand that wasn't gripping mine to stroke my cheek. "While he's out of commission, so to speak, Isaac's going to stay with you when you're not at school." He added and I raised an eyebrow at him.

 

"I know my dad's made an exception for you, but I don't think he's very comfortable yet about me hanging around an entire pack of them." I said and I knew he knew I was right.

 

"Then I'll explain the situation to him." He said matter-of-factly and I rolled my eyes and let him drag me the rest of the way to his car. Then I remembered something.

 

"How did you know I was here?"

 

"Your dad text me and asked me to pick you up." He said, sticking to his original story.

 

"Bull. My dad would never. And you know it." There was a long pause before I realized he wasn't going to say anything. "You were following me! Oh my god! Derek, you're such a creeper!" I laughed. It might've been creeped out by their boyfriend stalking them, but it gave me a small sense of security. What worried me was that he didn't have anything better to do with his free time.

 

"I was worried." He said softly, a hint of shame somewhere in his voice.

 

"Thank you for being there." I said and leaned over to place a light kiss on his cheek.

 

"I'll always be there." He told me firmly and I smiled.

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When we got back to the house, it was like listening to a train wreck while Derek tried to explain what was going on. And then it all fell to hell when Derek said something about Isaac 'guarding' me. If I hadn't stepped in when I had, dad might've clawed the werewolf's throat out. "He needs somewhere to stay anyway, dad. Why not let him stay in the guest room?"

 

"Not happening. It's bad enough with one." The older man grumbled and I rolled my eyes. So much for progress.

 

"Isaac's a nice kid, dad. He's all alone now and needs he needs this. I'll even take responsibility for him." I said and I knew I'd get a laugh out of my dad at the puppy reference.

 

After a heavy sigh, he finally caved. "Fine." He ground out. "But this is special circumstance _only_. His father was murdered and he needs a place to stay. That's it!" He added and I grinned.

 

"Thank you." I said, kissing my dad on the cheek while Derek silently sulked that he wasn't able to convince the older man.

 

"I just thought things were starting to smooth out." Derek said after I asked for about the hundredth time.

 

"Derek, he's never going to like you." I said pointedly. “You’re dating his daughter. Even if you were human, he’d find something wrong with you.” I added and it made him laugh because he knew I was right.

 

“I’m going to head back to the house and pick Isaac up. We'll be back in about twenty minutes." He said and quickly pecked me on the lips before heading out the front door. While we waited, dad and I ate dinner and after, I made a plate for Isaac in case he hadn't eaten yet.

 

Aside from Scott and Stiles, and of course Derek, Isaac was my favorite. He was always so sweet and was there if anyone need someone to talk to. I was always felt bad about his home life and I knew that’s why he spent so much time training. I’d only met Mr. Lahey once when he came to pick Isaac up after school and he didn’t sit right with me. When Isaac had confided in me, I could only hug him and tell him things were going to get better.

 

“You’ll be staying in the guest room. it hasn’t been used in years, so there might be dust on everything.” I told the younger werewolf once he and Derek arrived and my dad ‘laid down the rules’.

 

“As long as I can sleep there, I couldn’t care less about dust.” he chuckled and I smiled warmly at him. I knew he was upset about his dad. He might’ve been a bastard, but he was still his father. And it’s painful to lose a parent no matter what.

 

“Well good. Come on. I saved you some dinner.” I said and took his hand to lead him into the kitchen.

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

**Autumn’s POV**

“Have you noticed Jackson’s been acting weird?” Danny asked Friday during English. I lifted my head from the paper and looked in his general direction.

“Not really. He seems to be acting like his normal jerky self. Why?” I asked. He was worried about his best friend. Understandable. “I mean, I haven’t noticed anything specifically different about him. Aside from him and Lydia breaking up.” I reiterated, realizing how harsh that actually sounded when it came out of my mouth.

 

“Well, that’s probably the biggest thing. I mean, they’ve been a thing since eighth grade. But he’s been really obsessed about his strength as of late. It’s really weird. I was just wondering if you’d heard anything. I noticed he’s been talking to Scott a lot more than usual and I know you two are pretty close.”

 

Scott hadn’t said anything to me about Jackson. For all I knew, nothing was wrong with the narcissistic lacrosse player. “Sorry, Danny, but I haven’t heard anything.” I told him and he dropped the conversation. It did make me wonder, though, why he wasn’t in school. After Stiles’ run in with that lizard thing, Derek, who I was now angry with for not telling me he’d become the pack alpha after the ordeal with Peter which Stiles had accidentally blurted out in one of his rants, insisted on harder and more training.

 

After the bell rang, Scott grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, Stiles not too far behind. “Dr. Deaton says there might be able to figure out what this lizard thing is.” Scott said once we’re in a deserted classroom. "He said there's usually a leather bound book with all of things hunters have hunted. And more than likely, Gerard has one."

 

"A bestiary!" Stiles exclaimed, excited that he knew something Scott didn't.

 

"Isn't that illegal?" Scott said and I laughed.

 

"Bestiary, Scott. Not beastiality." I corrected. "The question is how we get it from Gerard. I don't think he's just going to give it to us willingly." I added after a moment of thought.

 

"We're going to have to rely on Allison for that one. She'll have a better chance since they're living together." Scott said and I could tell he wasn't happy with that thought.

 

"Hey, is there something up with Jackson? Danny seems to think there's something wrong with him." I asked, changing the subject.

 

"He's been sulking for the past couple of days, but other than that, he's just been the cocky bastard we all hate and despise." Stiles said bitterly and I rolled my eyes.

 

"I've noticed that too, but I don't know what's up." Scott provided and I nodded. Maybe Danny had been wrong about Jackson talking more with Scott. Maybe Scott was lying to me. Sadly, my hearing wasn't good enough to hear his heartbeat like he would if the situation was switched. Deciding to drop the subject, I let Scott talk Stiles into being his messenger with Allison.

 

After a couple of times, a breathless Stiles says that Allison thinks it might be in Gerard's office. And that's how I learned we had a new principle. That didn't sit well with me, knowing he was that close and I had no clue. "Sorry, Autumn. Had I known you didn't know, I'd have told. I'm surprised Derek isn't freaking out because of it. Or he doesn't know yet." Scott said after I told him.

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"Bye, dad!" I called into the living room before dragging Isaac out of the house, chuckling at the annoyed grumble my dad gave in response. Stiles was waiting for us outside and we quickly got in before heading to the lacrosse game. Scott had a plan to get into Gerard's office and search for the bestiary. It required Allison, Scott, Isaac, and me to use the game as a distraction. In theory, it work flawlessly, but things rarely ever work the way we want them to.

 

While we waited, I sat between Isaac and Stiles on the team’s bench. Stiles made a comment about Coach giving me a weird look, but not saying anything. "Being blind has so many perks." He complained and I gave him what I hoped was a pointed look. "Oh come on! If you were able to see, Coach would've kicked you out and made you sit in the stands with everyone else. Plus, you get extra days for homework and assignments!" He went on and I rolled my eyes. He had a point though. I did get special treatment because of my disability.

 

"Show time." Stiles whispered after a moment and I tapped Isaac on the knee. Both boys grabbed my arms and pulled me up from the bench.

 

"Whoa whoa whoa! Where do you think you two are going?" Coach asked the boys as we began to make our way out.

 

"Autumn said she wasn't feeling very well. I think she's got that bug that's been going around. I mean, look at her! She's as pale as a ghost!" Stiles said and I made a mental note to kick him later. I was not that pale.

 

"Eh, fine. Get her home. We don't need her getting sick on the field. But make sure you two get back here as soon as possible. We're getting slaughtered out there!" Coach said and we were able to get passed with no problem. Once we were away from the crowd, Stiles went back to 'get his keys' from Allison while Isaac and I made our way to the principles office.

 

It took a lot longer than it should have for Stiles to get back with us, but once he arrived, we didn't waste any time ransacking the office in search for a leather bound book.

 

"Why leather?" Isaac asked after some time of looking through a stack of books he took from me.

 

"Tradition. Or at least according to Scott." Stiles told him.

 

There was a light knock on the door and I smelled cinnamon and peaches and I stifled a laugh as the other two let out small screams. "Stiles." Erica said and there seemed to be a tense moment before Stiles stopped what he was doing and went into the hall with her.

 

“What’s that all about?” I asked, straining to hear what the two were talking about.

 

“Uh,” Isaac paused, using his better hearing. “Well, I’m not exactly sure. It’s pretty muffled. Even for me.” he said and a moment later, Stiles came back into the office.

 

“I need to take care of something. You two keep looking.” he said and before we could question him, he and Erica were gone and jogging down the hall.

 

“Should I-should I go after them?” Isaac asked and I was a little surprised he was asking me what he should do.

 

“Um...no. I’ll go. You stay here and look for the bestiary. Since you can actually see what written on the pages and I can’t.” I said after a moment of thought. Anyways, it shouldn’t be too hard to follow the two. All I’d need to do is follow the scent of cinnamon, peaches, pine, and oranges.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Autumn's POV**

It wasn't too hard to follow Stiles and Erica. However, bumping into a few walls here and there made me fall behind. Eventually, I was able to follow them to the pool. Hearing voices, I crouched next to the door and listened to the muffled voices as best as possible. " _Look, I don't know what's going on between you and Scott, but now really isn't the time for you two to be butting heads!_ " Stiles practically yelled.

" _Stiles, tell me what you saw at the mechanics garage._ " came Derek's voice and I pressed closer to door to hear better. Derek wasn't supposed to be here. If he was, something must be wrong.

" _Uh, several EPA violations that I'm seriously considering reporting. Holy god!_ " Stiles answered and Derek must've grabbed the younger teen by the collar threateningly.

" _Let's try that again._ " Derek said, his voice oddly calm.

" _All right, the thing was pretty slick looking. Um, skin was dark. Kind of patterned. Uh, I think I actually saw scales. Is that enough? Okay, because I've somebody I really need to get back to-_ " Stiles began to explain, but Derek must've done something to let him know he wanted more information. " _All right, fine, eyes. Eyes are, um, yellowish. And slitted. Um, has a lot of teeth. Oh. And it's got a tail, too. It looked like some kinda reptile thing. Are we good? What? Wait, have you seen it? You have this look on your faces like you know exactly what I am talking about._ "

There was a long pause and there was a loud crash, causing me to jump. " _Run!_ " I heard Derek yell. Now I was beginning to panic. What the hell was going on? Now I really resented being blind. But I had to do something. Anything.

" _Derek, your neck! Hey, come on. Where is it? Can you see it?_ "

" _I can smell it. Please hurry. Call Scott! Stiles, ah-_ "

I couldn't take it anymore! I couldn't just sit there, doing nothing, while Derek and Stiles, possible Erica as well, get killed!

Now admittedly, doing the very first thing that popped into my head probably wasn't the best idea, but Derek was in danger and something inside of me told me that logic wasn't the most important thing right now. Derek's safety was. So, quickly pushing the metal doors open, I rushed inside. I had absolutely no clue what I was going to do, but I something had to be done. Once I was inside, I could smell the familiar scent of almond and coconut, but it was strongly overpowered by the scent of...swamp water? Whatever was in the room had to be the reptile creature. It was somewhere in this room. And that wasn't good. At all.

I wasn't in the room more than ten seconds before I heard Stiles yelling at me. "Autumn! Get out of here! That  _thing_ is running around!" In the back of my mind, I knew I should turn around and run out of the room, but my body didn't seem to want to listen to my brain. I seemed to be frozen where I stood. I wanted to move, I really did. I enjoyed living!

Not even a second after Stiles tried to warn me, I felt a blinding white pain go through my back and into my chest. The pain was so much that I almost couldn't hear Derek and Stiles yelling. After what felt like forever, the pain eventually subsided and started to throb. The downside, I could feel myself falling and losing feeling throughout most of my body. And to top it all off, I was getting really really sleepy and there was nothing I could do to keep my eyes open.

I could hear Derek and Stiles still shouting, but it was far too muffled to make anything out. Then the tiredness became too much and I couldn't keep my eyes open. Eventually, my mind was completely taken over by darkness.

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**Third Person POV**

Derek was ready to explode. He couldn't take his eyes off of Autumn's seemingly lifeless body. She was bleeding profusely, but he could still hear her heartbeat and that kept him somewhat calm. "Dude, you need to calm down somewhat! Your eyes are all flashy!" Stiles struggled to say as he continued to try and hold the werewolf up in the pool. Derek only growled in response. Stiles had already let go of him once, so in his book, the human didn't have any room to talk.

All the two could do now was wait for Derek to get his feeling back. Then he could get Stiles, Erica, and Autumn out of here and somewhere safe. The only downside to that plan was that they didn't know how long he'd be paralyzed. It could be hours before he could move again. Stiles had tried calling Scott, but the blockhead had hung up on them!

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There was one in a million chance that Scott had shown up when he had. A couple more minutes and that  _thing_ would've gotten them.

Once Derek was able to move again, he wasted no time in getting to Autumn. When he got to her though, he was stunned to see that the wound that went through her back and into her chest had completely healed and was now only a scar. "How is that even possible?" Stiles asked, just as shocked as Derek.

"It has to be something to do with her being half vampire." Derek answered, running his fingers lightly over the newly formed scars. She was completely out cold and her heart was beating just as strongly as it normally did, maybe even a bit faster than normal. If he hadn't seen a pair of claws sticking out her chest, he never would've believed she'd been attacked.

The hardest part would be explaining to Carson why he was bringing his daughter home unconscious and scarred.

 


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Third Person POV

Derek and Isaac got an earful when they brought Autumn home, but he seemed to be fairly understand when Derek refused to leave her alone. In all honesty, he was just as confused as the two werewolves in his house. Autumn had been unconscious for three days. They were starting to get worried about her. Carson even went as far as calling Melissa McCall. When the nurse had asked what had happened, they told her the truth. Well, most of the truth. They told her that they didn’t know why she wasn’t waking up. As for what had happened to cause it, Carson thought a car accident sounded like the best choice.

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Autumn’s POV

My body felt like it weighed a ton and I my mind was really fuzzy. I tried to open my eyes, but they just didn't want to listen to reason. So I tried something smaller and simpler. Wiggling my toes. I felt the digits move and the blanket that was over me moved with them. Good. I still had movement of some kind. Next I tried fingers. I could feel the soft cotton under my hands and decided to take the next step. It took a little effort, but I was able to bunch the blanket in my hand.

 

After what felt like hours, I was able to move my arms and legs with minimal effort. But I still couldn't get my eyes to open. No matter how much I tried, they refused to budge. And then I was overcome with this feeling like I'd participated in a triathlon and I felt exhausted. It took about half a millisecond to pass out again.

 

When I woke up the next time, my nose was invaded with a plethora of scents. Leather and firewood: Derek. Ocean water and lemons: my dad. Ambrosia and red wine: Talia if I remembered correctly. And apple pie and clean cotton that smelled familiarly like Scott, but wasn't. He was more of an apple strudel and oatmeal.

 

"Thank you for coming, Melissa. I know you're probably dying to go home." I heard my dad say and then it made sense. Then not so much again. Why would Scott's mom be here? I mean, sure she's a nurse and all, but I wasn't exactly completely human.

 

"It's no problem. Really. But I'm sorry. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her externally, but that doesn't rule out anything internal. You really should've brought her to the hospital after the accident happened. My advice, if she doesn't wake up by tomorrow, take her in." A woman, who was more than likely Mrs. McCall, answered. There were sounds of footsteps across the floor and then the apple pie and clean cotton faded.

 

"I need to get going to. Cora's starting to freak out about...actually I'm not really sure what she's going on about." I heard Talia say after a moment. There was a moment of silence before she spoke. "She'll be fine, Carson." She whispered and I could've sworn I heard my dad give a low growl. Then there was silence. Complete silence.

 

I knew it was a bad idea to try and talk, but I needed to let them know I was fine. I felt like I’d never get out of bed again, but I wasn’t dying. At least not that I knew of. But my throat felt like sandpaper and when a sound did come out of my mouth, I couldn’t help but wince. After a few more tries, I was able to finally get actual words out of my mouth. “I’m not dead yet. Quite moping.” I rasped and tried to open my eyes again. The two other people in the room jolted from where they were sitting and I felt the bed dip on both sides, one closer to my head and the other closer to my feet.

 

“How’re you feeling?” my dad asked and I felt a cool washcloth being wiped across my forehead.

 

“Like I’ve been run over by a semi.” I chuckled and ended up coughing because of it. “How long have I been out?” I asked, still fighting with my eyelids.

 

There was a long pause before one of them finally answered. “Five days. We were worried about you. My mom’s been here almost as long as I have.” Derek explained and felt a warm, comforting hand on my leg. I couldn’t believe it. That was impossible!

 

“Derek and Stiles told me what happened at the school. We’re pretty sure it has something to do with the Kanima.” my dad explained.

 

“So that’s what that thing was.” I said, remembering reading something about them in one of the old books my dad owned when I was younger.

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After some more explanations and both men fussing over whether I was alright or not. After I insisted more than enough that I’d be fine for a while, they finally left me to my thoughts. Once they were gone, I began to really focus on trying to open my eyes. It took multiple efforts, but after some time, I finally got them open. And it was even worse than the pain of trying to talk. It was so bright. Too bright! I couldn’t stop the small cry that escaped my mouth as I closed my eyes as quickly as possible.

 

I quickly stumbled out of bed and felt my way to the window and pulled the blind down faster than was humanly possible.

 

As I slowly opened my eyes again, I was speechless. Whatever that Kanima had done to me, it was...I didn’t know how to describe it. I was actually looking at my room and all I could think of was how plain my room was. I mean, sure I couldn’t see the furniture, but this was just bad. But I could see! Well, everything was really dull from what I remembered and it was all a little blurry, but who cares! Sight is sight and I was seeing things again for the first time in ten years!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the tumblr I made specifically for my stories. This url is for this story specifically, but there are pages for my other stories: scalephoenix14825.tumblr.com/tagged/Little-Games/


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Autumn's POV**

I wasn't brave enough to look at myself in the mirror. It wasn't that I was afraid of what I looked like, but I was afraid I'd see someone I didn't recognize staring back at me. So I opted to sit on my bed and just stare at everything. It was all so strange. Like seeing someone you haven't seen in a long while and they suddenly pop up again. And you don't really remember them.

I wanted to go downstairs and talk to my dad, but I was worried. Plus when I opened my bedroom door, the light from the hall window was painful again. No doubt the rest of the house was the same.

After some time, I could hear someone coming up the steps. I couldn't bring myself to look up when they came into my room. I at least had an idea of what my dad looked like from when I was little, but Derek was different. I loved him and yet he'd be a complete stranger I'd never seen before. "Autumn? Is everything okay?" Derek asked, paused in the door. I didn't know how to answer! Was I just supposed to come right out and say it or just wait for it to come up? I couldn't see the latter going over so well with anyone honestly.

I didn't have much time to think of a way to bring it up before I felt the bed shift under the werewolf's weight. "Why're you sitting in the dark?" he asked, his voice so full of concern it actually made me want to cry. And that's exactly what happened. I couldn't help it! This was just all too much to take in! I felt like I was going to explode! When the werewolf pulled me into a hug, I couldn't help but bury my face in his chest and tried to let him comfort me despite not knowing what was wrong.

"This is too much!" I sobbed, clutching at him almost desperately. "I can't handle this! I'm not  _used_ to this!" I went on and he rubbed smooth circles into my back to try and sooth me.

"Autumn, hun, you have to tell me what's wrong. I can't do anything if I don't know what's going on." he whispered in my ear and I knew he was right. Of course he was right! So, I took a couple of deep breaths to try and calm myself, but my stomach was still in my throat. Reaching up, I ran my fingers over his face like I had done so many times, telling myself that this was a miracle.

"I've spent the last ten years not being able to see and suddenly, everything's changed. I don't know what thing...that Kanima did, but...I'm scared, Derek." I said, my voice so quiet that if he was was human, he wouldn't have heard me. I could feel myself trembling and I couldn't stop myself. "I'm so scared." I said again, clutching to the werewolf with all the strength I could muster.

"What's wrong?" Derek said and, before I could protest, he hooked his fingers under my chin and forced me to look up at him. When our eyes finally connected, I was speechless. He had the most beautiful hazel eyes and I would have gotten lost in them had he not pulled me out of my trance. "What happened to your eyes?" he asked breathlessly, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"I don't know. When I woke up, the light was too much, so I had to close the curtains. When there wasn't as much light, I could...see everything. I'm so confused and scared." I explained, not able to stop the tears that fell. I was surprised when Derek said nothing and only pulled me against his chest again.

"Everything's going to be okay. I promise." he said after a moment. "And this'll be a good thing. You'll see." he added with a small smile, pulling me back a little so he could wipe my eyes with the sleeve of his sweater.

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**Third Person POV**

"It must've been the poison in the Kanima's claws that caused this. It's the only explanation I can think of. It's understandable why she's so afraid. She's never been fond of change." Carson said later that night after they had gotten Autumn to go back to bed for some much needed rest.

"That doesn't explain her eyes though. Why would they change like that?" Derek asked, leaning against the kitchen counter and seemingly staring off into space. There was nothing but silence and the werewolf looked up from the spot on the ground to raise an eyebrow at the vampire. "I'm guessing you know why." he stated and the blonde gave a slight shake of the head.

"I have a theory, but it's a long shot." he said, but didn't make any attempt to inform the brunette. "You should go home. I'll...call if there's any change." he added after a moment and left the room. "And Derek," he said, popping his head back into the kitchen to give said werewolf a pointed look. "I mean  _go home_. She'll be fine. Autumn might think I don't know that you stay here most nights, but she's wrong. The house still reeks of you after you've 'left'. As long as nothing's going on while you're here, I won't say anything. But tonight, you need to actually get some rest as well. So...go home. Come back tomorrow." he said and left before the other could say anything, much less argue.

Derek stood there for a moment, a small smirk on his face, before pushing off the counter and grabbing his jacket. "Are you sure she'll be fine?" Derek asked, his hand waiting on the knob of the front door.

"Of course. If anything happens, you'll be the second to know." Carson answered from his spot in the living room doorway. Derek nodded before opening the door and heading outside. Derek wasn't going to lie and say he didn't want to stay, but he wasn't about to go against Carson right now. Not when his daughter's life was on the line.

He just wished he knew what the vampires theory was.

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Autumn's POV**

By the time I was able to go back to school, almost the entire pack had visited the house to 'check up' on me. It wasn't until everyone kept commenting on my eyes that I finally decided I needed to look in a mirror. So, Sunday night, I ended up pacing in front of my bathroom. I'd asked dad to put something over the mirror in said room. I kept telling myself that I just wanted to keep things a mystery, but if I was completely honest with myself, I was afraid. I was afraid I'd see my mother staring back at me.

After the fourteenth or so time past the door, I decided I needed to do this like taking off a bandaid. Quick and painless. So, I stalked into the bathroom with determination in my step and took the covering in my hand. Only then did I hesitate. I took a deep breath and pulled it off in one swift motion. When I looked at myself, I couldn't help but sigh in relief. I wasn't the exact replica of my mother like some people said. I thought I was a good mixture of both my parents.

But that wasn't what caught my eye, no pun intended. My eye color hadn't changed much since I was little, they were still silver, but they weren't...shaped like used to be. They were...cat like. The pupil wasn't round and in the middle anymore, but oval and reaching from the top and bottom of the iris. "Autumn's? Are you still up here?" I heard my dad call as he came up the stairs.

"In here." I called, tearing my eyes away from the mirror and leaving the bathroom. "Dad, can I ask you something?" I asked as he came into my room.

"Of course." he said, giving me a look that said I was foolish for even asking.

"Why do my eyes look like this?" I asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of my bed and hoping he would have the answers I sought. When he didn't answer I looked up and saw that he was in deep thought. After a moment, he sighed and came to sit next to me on the bed.

"I...only have theories, but I'm not certain yet." he said hesitantly, refusing to look at me as he spoke. There was a long pause while he chose his words very carefully. "There are old stories, legends, about made vampires that are able to evolve into Primas, those who are born as vampires. Unlike werewolves, born vampires are extremely rare and when there is one, it's expected of them to either start their own covenant or take over another's covenant, though the second is frowned upon, but not uncommon." he explained and I was confused. "But like I said, this is only a theory. I've never heard of a dimidiae evolving, but there's nothing that says it isn't impossible."

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"So, your dad thinks you're evolving into this...ultimate vampire thing?" Stiles asked at lunch the next day and I nodded.

"He said that those who evolve usually do because somewhere in their family line, a prima and human had a child and then they have a child and so on until after enough generations have passed, when a seemingly human from said bloodline is turned, vampire blood is still running in their veins and it sort of becomes activated. It's more than a little confusing and I'm starting to get a headache just from thinking about it again. Since I was born dimidiae, he thinks the extra vampire blood might've come from my mother's side. He also thinks that with his added vampire blood, it's what's triggering the change." I explained and groaned and I laid my head on my folded arms on the table.

"Are you sure the sun has nothing to do with it?" Scott asked, moving to sit next to me so he was blocking most of the sun.

"Maybe. It's weirds. I used to use the sun to be able to somewhat see and now...it keeps me from seeing." I said and I couldn't help sounding a little sad about it.

"Your dad said the sensitivity might go away after some time." Isaac suggested hopefully and I smiled.

"Hopefully you're right. I guess I'll just have to make due with these stupid sunglasses for now." I laughed and pushed them back up my nose as they started to slide down for the hundredth time that day.

"Thanks for being supportive guys. It-It's nice to know I can lean on you guys." I said and everyone smiled.

"Well, you know, Derek would probably rip our throats out if we didn't." Boyd laughed as the bell rang for us to head to our next class.

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"Hey, now you can come to games and actually watch instead of sitting around doing nothing!" Stiles joked at the end of the day, nudging me in the shoulder as I unloaded my locker for the day.

"Hey! I tried to pay attention as much as I could!" I defended with a laugh, ducking out from under his arm as I shut my locker. "Anyway, I thought I was your lucky charm." I laughed and Stiles rolled his eyes.

"Sure, you just keep telling yourself that." he joked before running down the hall so he could get to practice on time. I wasn't alone for too long though before Isaac came up next to me and threw his arm around my shoulder.

"So, what's the plan for today?" he asked as we made our way to the front of the building.

"Ugh, Derek has this bright plan of teaching me how to drive." I answered and stuck my tongue out in distaste. Isaac laughed and gave my shoulders a light squeeze. "I thought dad was going to have a fit when he heard."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**Autumn's POV**

"Derek, I can't do this!" I panicked, my grip on the steering wheel tightening. Derek chuckled and placed his hands over mine from the back seat. He insisted that from there, he could help me steer while I concentrated on the pedals for the first time.

"You'll do fine, hun. For now, just concentrate on going and stopping. Once you've mastered that, we'll move on to that and steering, and then both of those and shifting." he tried to reassure me and I groaned again. Derek had tried to tell me this would be a fun experience, but now that I was sitting in the driver's seat, I had to question his definition of fun. "Okay, now, the pedal on the far right is the gas. Right next to that is the brake. The one on the far left is the clutch, but we're not going to worry about that one right now." he explained, running his thumbs over the tops of my hands to help me relax.

After an hour or so, I'd mastered stopping and going. It was a lot more difficult than you'd think. "Do you want to move on or continue tomorrow?" Derek asked after some more practice.

"Continue tomorrow." I said and we resituated ourselves, Derek in the driver's seat and me in the passenger's. It wasn't until we were halfway to my house that I realized the werewolf looked extremely tense. "It's Jackson, isn't it?" I asked, wanting to let him know he could confide in me.

"Hm?" he asked, glancing at me for a moment before looking back to the road.

"Jackson. You're worried about him being the Kanima and all." I answered and the brunette sighed.

"Scott doesn't want to kill him. He thinks we should do everything to help him, to try and cure him." he answered and I could tell this was something that was bothering him, one of his own not agreeing with him. "It's too much a risk letting him run around like this. People are going to die if something's not done." he added before sighing.

"There's something else though, isn't there?" I asked when he was still visibly stressed.

"I don't want to kill Jackson. He's a jerk and all, but...I don't think he knows he's doing it. Then I remember that you could've died because of him and it doesn't seem to matter anymore if he knows or not." he elaborated and I pursed my lips before reaching up and taking one of the hands that had a death grip on the steering wheel.

"I'm still alive though." I whispered, lacing our fingers together.

"I know. And I'm more than glad you are." he said softly, giving my hand a strong squeeze.

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"He's more worried about you than he puts on." Isaac said later that night while I was sitting in bed with my dad's old bestiary. "From what Talia says, werewolves are extremely protective of their mates. He's worried about your safety. Maybe even more so than the rest of the pack."

"You don't think he'd do something stupid, do you?" I asked, giving the blonde a hopeful look. There was a long pause while Isaac contemplated his answer.

"He knows what he's doing, Autumn. Or at least he thinks he does." he finally said with an apologetic smile before turning and leaving me alone once more. I couldn't help but groan at how true that statement was. If Derek thought it was the right thing, it wouldn't matter if it got him killed in the process.

"You're not doing anything stupid, are you?" I blurted out when Derek finally slipped through the open window about an hour later. Derek was silent while he shut the window and slipped out of his jacket.

"Define stupid." he said as he came to stand next to the bed. Before I answered him, I slid to the side of the bed and reached up to finger his left sleeve where there was a dark blood stain. When I pulled it up, there was a rather deep gash on his arm that was a little difficulty healing.

"Whatever's causing you to bleed and not heal properly." I said, tentatively running my fingers over the wound. "Can I try something?" I asked, tearing my eyes away from the torn flesh to look into the werewolf's eyes. "My dad was a healer in his old covenant and, well, I've been experimenting with this whole evolving thing, if that's what it is." I explained and Derek chuckled before nodding.

With a smile, I pulled Derek down so he was sitting next to me on the bed and I grabbed for the bestiary. Flipping it to the small section he had about werewolves, I skimmed. "Okay, so, there's not really anything here about healing werewolves, which isn't a big surprise, but I might have an idea. So, if this hurts, don't hate me." I said before placing my hand over the wound, palm flat, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the biology of muscle tissue, fat, and skin. "Nothing's happening is it?" I asked after a long stretch of silence.

"My arm's starting to tingle, but that usually happens when you're touching me." he said and when I opened my eyes to give him a pointed look, he was grinning at me.

"Don't think you're going to sweet talk your way out of this, Derek. You're still going to tell me what happened." I told him, but I couldn't help the smile that bloomed on my own face. When I closed my eyes again, I concentrated more on the muscle, fat, and skin fusing together and repairing itself. I ended up pulling my hand back quicker than I ever would've thought possible when Derek hissed in pain.

"Oh god!" I yelled, keeping my hands up and away from the werewolf. "I'm so sorry!" I began to freak out, but stopped abruptly when I noticed the wound was gone and all that was left was a light scar that would probably go away in a few days.

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"I can't believe it actually worked!" I exclaimed the next day before the bell rang.

"So, what? You've got some freakish healing powers now?" Stiles asked from behind me, sounding confused and astonished at the same time.

"Apparently healing abilities aren't that uncommon amongst supernatural beings." Scott explained and I nodded in agreement. A few seconds after Allison rushed into the class, the bell rang and the class went silent as a tall woman in a grayish green dress and tan heels with red hair like fire walked into the class behind her.

"I'm afraid your teacher was feeling ill and had to leave early." she said, leaning on the front of the desk where she could see the entire class. "So I'm afraid you're going to be stuck with me for a substitute." she said with a grin that would have been friendly to anyone else, but made my spine tingle in a bad way. After she scanned the room, she looked at me and I sat up a little straighter. "Ms. Summers, the principle would like to see you." she said and I didn't miss the cold tint in her voice. Glancing at the other three, I noticed that Allison had a panicked look on her face while Stiles and Scott just looked confused.

Without saying anything, I stood and left the room. "Can anyone catch me up to speed on where we are?" I heard her say pleasantly as I shut the door behind me. I didn't know why I had this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I knew it couldn't be good. And it didn't help that the walk to the office felt like it was taking forever.

When I walked into the office, Ms. Morman smiled at me and pointed to the principal's office. "Mr. Argent's waiting for you." she said pleasantly, like she didn't realize what she'd just said. I really hoped by Mr. Argent, she meant Allison's dad and not her grandfather. But my nose was telling me my hopes were useless.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Autumn's POV**

I knew in the back of my mind Gerard wouldn't do anything while we were in the school, but that didn't keep me from freaking out. He was just sitting there, staring at me with a creepy grin that made me want to bolt out of the room. "Why don't you relax? Take your sunglasses off and stay a while." he suggested, leaning back in his chair and I couldn't help but scoff.

"Somehow I think you already know I can't do that." I said, getting a burst of confidence out of nowhere. Gerard's eyes narrowed slightly and he turned in his chair to close the blinds, leaving them open only slightly so some light could get through.

"There. Now, how about relaxing a bit." he tried again. There was a long moment before I decided there wasn't much of a point in fighting back. If he wanted something, he was going to get it. So, I took off the sunglasses and carefully folded them in my lap. After a moment of staring at my eyes, he leaned forward in his chair. "He's right, you know. Your father. I've been doing my research since I learned that vampires  _and_ werewolves were infesting Beacon Hills. And imagine my surprise when I found out that you were all working together. It must really irk your father to know that his only child is knocking boots with a werewolf."

"What's my father right about?" I asked, deciding to ignore everything else that he'd decided to spew.

"You, Ms. Summers, are evolving. Or you already have." he grinned. "You're eyes give it away. True born vampires eyes look exactly like yours. They don't flare like a made's do." he explained and I remained silent. I already knew all of this. It was all in my dad's bestiary.

"Why are you telling me what I already know?" I asked and could feel myself getting agitated and twitchy.

"Because I want you to be prepared, Autumn. You're a bright young woman. I'd...hate to see you not know what's going on." he said and he wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he wasn't telling the complete truth. "Now, I think you should head back to class. Wouldn't want your  _friends_ getting worried about you." he added and I couldn't stand up quick enough. "Oh, and Autumn!" he called when I reached for the door knob. "Give Derek my regards." he said and his voice was almost threatening.

As I walked back to the classroom, I could feel my blood boiling. I definitely didn't like people threatening Derek.

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"You've got to be kidding me! This is something out of the X-Men!" I said in disbelief, if not a little excitedly. After I'd regained my eyesight, Stiles had insisted on marathoning all of the X-Men movies and I wasn't ashamed to admit I was geeking out a bit.

"They're specially made to keep sunlight out from all directions and the lenses are designed so that the tinting doesn't interfere with reading or writing or anything else. HD for sunglasses." dad explained with a chuckle as I tried them on. "And!" he said once I'd gotten them on. "There's a button on the side. Press it!" he said, sounding almost as excited as me.

I did as I was told and watched in amazement as everything went info-red. "Oh my god! This is amazing!" I said and hit the button again so it would go back to normal.

"I thought you'd like it. Now, you only need to wear them during the day, but they work at night too. Plus, they're so durable, they could be run over by a truck and they'd be fine." he explained as he threw out the box they'd came in.

There was a long pause before he spoke up again. "How are you adjusting?" he asked, his voice and on his face.

"It's...difficult, but I think I'm doing fairly well for someone who spontaneously regained their eyesight." I said positively and dad smiled before pulling me into a tight hug.

"I'm glad." he whispered into my hair and gave me a tight squeeze. After a moment, he broke the silence with a question I was anticipating. "Where's Isaac? I thought he'd be home by now."

"Aww! Are you getting attached to him?!" I squealed and he rolled his eyes.

"Not a chance. He's living under my roof and I'd like to know where the people living under my roof are." he said and I smiled.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." I said and jogged upstairs before he could argue. I purposely didn't tell him about my 'meeting' with Gerard. I knew he wouldn't take it well and I didn't want to put him on edge. Anyway, if he was right and I  _was_ evolving, it shouldn't be too hard to take care of it on my own.

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"Okay, let me get this straight, you and Scott went to a gay bar, kidnapped Jackson, and now you have him locked in a police van in the middle of the woods." I said later that night when Stiles called me in the middle of the night.

" _Well, we didn't have much of a choice! He could very easily attack again and we're...preventing him from hurting others! Plus, we're keeping him hidden from Derek, who I might add, is determined to kill him!_ " Stile answered, trying to redeem himself.

"And what do you want me to do?" I asked, pinching the bridge of my nose. I knew I was going to regret asking, but it was going to bite me in the butt eventually anyway.

" _We need you to distract Derek long enough to move the van so it isn't found._ "

"What about everyone else?"

" _Scott says they won't act without Derek's go ahead._ "

"And how exactly do you expect me to distract Derek?"

" _I don't know! Use your "womanly" ways!_ "

"Okay, one, I take offence to the way you said "womanly" and two, I am  _not_ seducing my boyfriend for your benefit!" I scoffed and Stiles began to babble on the other end of the line.

"Okay, fine! Though I would like to point out that sex would be the best distraction we could-"

"Stiles!"

" _Fine! Fine! Just...come up with something! Please! This could save a very douchey teen's life!"_  Stiles tried to convince me and I sighed.

"Look, Stiles, I don't feel comfortable tricking Derek like that. I can talk to him though. Try and convince him that killing Jackson isn't the only option. But...I can't trick him like that." I said and I felt bad about letting Scott and Stiles down like I was, but I knew I wouldn't be able to trick Derek like that. "I'm sorry, Stiles. Please tell Scott that I am. I...really hope he understands." I said and before Stiles could say anything else, I did something I'd never done to someone and didn't even like the idea of doing it. I hung up on him.

I loved Stiles and Scott. They were like brothers to me. But I loved Derek more and he was my priority.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**Autumn's POV**

"You trust me, right?" I asked the next day after school while Derek and I were wandering around in the woods.

"You know,  _Cyclops_ ," Derek laughed, giving the top of my visor a light tap before wrapping his arm around my waist again. "you keep asking me that, but the answer's always going to be the same." he answered with a kiss to the top of my head.

"Okay, fine then. I'll just be straight forward from now on." I feigned annoyance, moving closer to the werewolf's body heat. "Don't kill Jackson." I said after a moment, stopping. Derek stopped as well and looked down at me with a surprised look. "Don't look at me like that. I spend most of my day with Stiles and Scott and Isaac  _lives_ with me. I was about to find out eventually. Plus, our conversation yesterday kinda put all the pieces together." I said and started walking again, leaving Derek where he was behind me with a look that I couldn't quite place.

"Do you know where Jackson is?" Derek asked a moment later, following after me.

"No. I don't." I answered truthfully. "All I know is that Scott is hiding him somewhere no one who isn't in his 'good graces' is going to be able to find. And like I told Stiles on the phone last night, I don't feel particularly comfortable taking sides in the matter." I went on, ignoring what was supposed to be a warning growl from the grump behind me. "That doesn't actually work on me." I informed him a chuckle.

"Look," I said, stopping abruptly again and turned around, causing Derek to stumble slightly so he wouldn't walk right into me. "I understand that you're upset about what happened at the pool. And I understand that Kanimas can be more than tricky if not dealt with properly. But is killing Jackson the proper way to take care of this? I mean, from what Stiles says, he doesn't seem to even believe that he's doing it. He doesn't even believe he's growing scales and a tail!"

There was a long pause while Derek looked down at me with a completive stare that would've made me uncomfortable had it been anyone else. "Autumn," he whispered, breaking his gaze to look down at the ground before looking up again, something I couldn't identify in his eyes. "Everything I do, I do for the benefit of our pack. If you hadn't almost died because of it's attack, I wouldn't be so adamant on taking out the threat."

There was a moment while I stood and looked at the werewolf in shock.  _Our_ pack. Not  _his_ pack. "Our pack?" I ended up saying, not really being able to think of anything else to say. That was something that had never crossed my mind before. I mean, I knew I was part of the pack because of my friendship with Stiles and Scott and then even more so due to my relationship with Derek, but did said relationship give me rights that I wouldn't have if Derek and I weren't a couple? That seemed highly unlikely. Or at least it did until Derek pulled me against his chest and laid his head on top of mine.

"You're my second in command. I trust your views and respect your opinions." he softly into my hair and I smiled. "I'd be lost if I didn't have you to counsel me. I might not tell you everything that's going on with the pack, which I will make an effort to not do in the future, but I do that because I'm constantly worried about your safety. My mom even told me I might be being a little over protective." he explained and I laughed.

"A little?" I asked, propping my chin on his chest so I could look up at him, which he scowled at for a moment before making a noise that sounded suspiciously like a purr, a growl of content was more the werewolf's style, and I smiled. "I've never been someones second in command before. It's exciting!" I said and leaned up on my toes so I could place a quick kiss on his lips before slipping out of his arms. He didn't seem to agree with my actions and pulled me back and then onto the ground, trapping my arms against my side so I couldn't move.

"You're not very nice." Derek said, burying his face in my neck and refusing to let go of my arms.

"Not to big bullies like you!" I laughed and Derek gave a playful growl and nipped at my neck. Once Derek eventually let my arms go, I spun so I was straddling the werewolf's chest. "So, you're going to consider what I said?" I asked, reaching down and tangling our fingers together.

"Always." he said and pulled our hands up to kiss my knuckles. "If you're right and Jackson doesn't know what he's doing, then it's not my place to kill someone who truthfully believes their innocent." he went one and I smiled before leaning down and kissing him.

"I'm glad." I said, sprawling out on top of him and resting my head on his shoulder, letting myself completely relax. Derek hummed in response and relaxed further into the leaves, causing them to crunch underneath us.

Who knew napping in the middle of the woods with a werewolf keeping you warm would be so relaxing and I really didn't want to move when my phone started ringing in my pocket. "You have to answer that." Derek said, sounding like he hadn't just slept for what felt like hours. I groaned in response and ended up flailing around until I was able to get my hand into my pocket and reach my phone.

"Stiles, this had better be good. You just woke me up from a very,  _very_ nice nap." I grumbled into the cell phone, only glancing at the caller ID and mentally noting it was already dark out.

" _Uh, we've got a bit of an issue._ " Stiles answered, sounding a little more than panicked.

Before I could answer, Derek took my phone out of my hand and put it to his ear instead. "Hey! Rude!" I said, deciding not to try and fight to get my phone back because I knew it would be a futile fight.

"What's wrong, Stiles?" he asked, his voice sounding annoyed that the hyperactive teen had called when he had. There was a long pause while Stiles answered and a look came over Derek's face that would let anyone know something was wrong. "Stay there. We're on our way." he said eventually and hung up my phone before handing it back to me. Before I could ask what was going on, Derek stood, picking me up in the process. "Jackson's missing." he said while he placed me on my own two feet.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

**Autumn's POV**

"I can't believe you two only got restraining orders!" I whispered angrily through the bookshelf. It was unbelievable that Jackson's parents weren't pressing charges on those two idiots. If someone, or someones in this case, kidnapped my kid, I would most definitely press changes! Adopted or not, they were still his parents.

"Oh, trust me. Or parents are more than making up for it." Scott grumbled on the other side, clearly not agreeing with me. Stiles mumbled something about it not being fair that Ms. McCall had banned the two from seeing each other and Allison rolled her eyes.

"Hey, at least you two get to interact with each other at school. If Scott and so much as look at each other, he's a dead wolf." Allison said and then apologized for snapping. We were all silent for a moment before Scott broke the silence with the topic we were all actually here for.

"Any luck deciphering the bestiary?" he asked and Allison rummaged through her bag before pulling out her tablet.

"Lydia was able to translate them. She wrote it all down." she said before handing them through the bookshelf to Scott. "And trust me, she was very confused."

"Like the wolf, its power is greatest at the moon's peak. Like the wolf, the Kanima is a social creature but where the wolf seeks a pack the Kanima seeks a master. The Kanima, a weapon of vengeance, is used to carry out the bidding of its master. The Kanima was once used by a South American priest who took it upon himself to rid his village of all murderers. The bond between master and servant grew stronger until the will of the master became that of the Kanima's and whomever the priest deemed unworthy, the Kanima served his vengeance. The Kanima is a mutation of the werewolf gene that cannot fully transform until it resolves that in its past which manifest it." Scott read out loud. "Well, that would kinda explain why Peter's bite didn't take." he added after scanning the tablet again.

"What'd you tell her?" Stiles asked, looking over Scott's shoulder at the translation.

"That we were part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures." she answered and she had to stifle a laugh while Scott and I were having a harder time hiding our amusement.

"I am part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures." Stiles said seriously and Scott and I lost it again while Allison stammered to apologize.

"Okay, back on topic! Does it say how to find out who's controlling him?" Scott said after being able to speak again.

"Not really. But Stiles was right about the murderers." Allison answered and then she turned to me again. "Are you sure there wasn't anything in your dad's bestiary about Kanima?"

"Nothing. His is more based on his medical research while with his old covenant. And there's nothing in there on him ever treating or studying anything like a Kanima. I even had Derek go through it and he couldn't find anything either." I explained, pulling the small leather bound book out of my bag. I handed it through the bookshelf and Stiles took it to look through it.

"I'm surprised Derek hasn't had a fit about you spending so much time with us." Scott said and I raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, we're not exactly on the same page right now and Derek is extremely protective and a bit possessive when it comes to you. I can't imagine he's happy that you're spending time with 'my pack' as he keeps putting it."

"Derek hasn't said anything to me about spending time with anyone. He knows I won't choose sides, but I'll give any helpful information I can." I said truthfully and there was silence. "Okay, what?"

"I have to agree with Scott. Derek can get a bit possessive and extremely possessive when you're involved." Stiles said again and Allison nodded in agreement. "I'm surprised he hasn't put you under house arrest to make sure you don't get caught in the middle again."

"I guess you could say that Derek and I have come to an understanding." I said simply and then bit my lip. "He said I was his second in command." I added after a moment.

"That's not surprising." Stiles said, causing the rest of us to stare at him. "After Scott was turned, I did copious amounts of research on wolf pack dynamics. The Alpha's mate is more often than not their second in command. Also not surprising since they would be the most trusted member of the pack." he explained and I smiled a little at the thought of how much Derek trusted me. Before I could say anything, my phone buzzed.

"Oh, thank god! I gotta go. My dad just dropped off my chemistry book. Fill me in at lunch!" I said before rushing out of the library and towards the office. Ms. Morman smiled at me when I walked through the door and held the large textbook out to me. "Thank you!" I said and just as I walked out the door, the bell rang.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, we're thinking it has something to do with Jackson's parents? His biological parents?" I asked as Stiles and we walked down the hall.

"Yeah, but we don't know what. I tried asking Lydia, but she's fusing to tell me anything. All we know is that they died and Jackson was adopted." the brunette answered and I stopped.

"Who else would know about Jackson's real parents, aside from Lydia? Danny?"

"Actually, Erica knows how Jackson's parents died, but she wouldn't tell me how. You're still on good terms with her, why don't you ask her?" Stiles said and I rolled my eyes. After a moment, Stiles snapped his fingers as he got an idea "You said it yourself! You're Derek's second, so she kinda  _has_ to tell you! Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Erica doesn't  _have_  to tell me anything. I'll ask her, but I'm not going to guarantee any answers. I think you're overthinking this whole second thing." I said, but I agreed with him in a way. Erica didn't exactly trust me, but her reasoning was sound. I was still half vampire and could still be considered a threat. She was friendly to me nonetheless. Before I could tell any of this to Stiles, Erica came down the hall and towards us.

"Do you hear that?" she asked me once she standing with us. Just I was straining to hear anything, there was a loud crash that a deaf person would've been able to hear. Seconds later, Scott came flying out of the boys locker room, the door flying with him and he landed on the floor in front of us.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

**Autumn's POV**

Of course all hell would break loose once Mr. Harris left us alone. Why wouldn't it!?

I'm not exactly sure why I did it, but all I knew was that something inside me made me move without thinking. It must've had something to do with Jackson freaking out.

"I don't remember you being so heavy!" Stiles complained from underneath me, trying to use his shoulder to push against my chest. If the situation weren't life threatening, I might've felt a bit awkward about laying on top of one of my best friend's back, but since I was shielding him from falling rubble, the awkwardness would have to wait till later.

"Shut up, Stiles!" I hissed, hunching over him more when a few more books landed on my back. A few moments later, once the commission seemed to settle down a little, I lifted my head a little to get an idea of what was going on. Erica and Matt were no where to be seen and Scott was hunched over Allison a few feet away. Looking to the front of the room, my eyes landed on the chalkboard and the message written on it.

_Stay out of my way or I'll kill all of you._

There was no sign of Jackson, so I hauled myself off the floor and offered Stiles my hand as I stared at the words on the board. "Uh," he hesitated and it caused me to look down at him.

"What-" I began and then I saw why he was staring at my hand like it had grown claws. I did, in fact, grow claws. The nails I'd let Lydia paint during biology had grow at least an inch and a half and became pointed at the end. They didn't look exactly like Derek's or Scott's, but they probably just as deadly. I quickly pulled my hand back and let my fingers curl back into my palm. "Sorry. I-I don't know what happened." I whispered, taking a tentative step back.

This wasn't good. Something was happening and I could feel it. It felt like my blood was boiling and I was starting to have a little trouble breathing. The room felt like it was closing in on me and I needed to get out. "I...I have to...go." I fumbled and turned, leaving my bag and I ran. Ran and ran until I couldn't breathe anymore. I had no clue where I was anymore. All I knew was that I was in the woods, surrounded by thick trees, and fallen leaves. Once the buzzing in my head started to die down, so did my speed.

Eventually, my legs began to burn and I stopped altogether. I ended up standing perfectly still, trying to catch my breath, and dropped to the ground. Even with my visor on, my eyes burned. Hoping to ease some of the pain, I scrunched my eyes closed and continued breathing deeply. After what felt like hours of laying on the ground just breathing, my body finally began to relax. My lungs didn't feel tight anymore and it felt like my blood was cooling down.

I could feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, but I really didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want to admit it, but I could feel myself beginning to panic.

"I'm fine. I'm fine! I'm totally  _fine_!" I said into the nothingness around me. Sitting up, I brought my knees up to my chin and wrapped my arms around them. I stretched my fingers out and looked at my nails again. They'd gone back to normal, but I couldn't get the image of them being claws out of my head.

"I don't know what's happening to me." I mumbled when I caught a comforting scent. A few seconds later, warm leather was draped over my shoulders and an even warmer body sat down next to me. "I'm afraid! I feel like I'm losing control of my own body!" I whispered, letting my body fall into the werewolf sitting next to me as he wrapped his arms securely around me. He didn't say anything for a long time and just buried his nose in my hair.

"Everything's going to be okay." he whispered into my hair and I sighed and tried to bury myself further into Derek's warmth. I couldn't help but hope he was right. I knew he didn't have the answers I wanted, so I did what I normally would when I didn't want to think about my issues for the time. I shoved them to the side and let Derek seep into the front of my mind.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked, letting my cheek rest on his chest so I could let his heart beat calm my own.

"Scott called when you didn't answer your phone. He told me you ran from the school and were acting funny. He sounded really worried and it set me on edge. I wasn't too far from the house before I caught your scent. You're only about a mile from the house." he told me, using the one hand that wasn't clutching me to him to stroke the nape of my neck like my mother used to when I was upset.

"Thank you for coming for me." I said and a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "I don't know what I'd do without you." I chuckled, nuzzling into him.

"I'll always come when you need me and you'd probably get hopelessly lost in the woods." he said cheekily and my smile widened. After that, all that was left was silence. I didn't feel like talking and I had a feeling he didn't either. It was nice just sitting in the leaves with Derek, not having to worry about anything other than the cold that began nipping at my face. The only reasonable solution to that problem was burrowing further into Derek and letting him take the brunt of the chilly wind.

"You know," I started, it being muffled by his chest. "my dad's gonna be out of town for about two weeks starting tomorrow. And since Issac's staying with Erica and Boyd for now, I was thinking you could keep me company while he was gone." I said, lifting my head and resting my chin in the now vacant spot.

"Did your dad approve?" he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow and I blushed. "I'll take that as a 'no'." he chuckled and I pushed my face back into his chest to hide the ever growing heat on my cheeks. "I'd love to stay with you while your dad's gone." he said after the amused rumbling of his chest stopped.


End file.
